


Comfort Zone

by StarvingLunatic



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adopted Children, Angst, Artists, Drama, Escort Service, F/F, Family, Female Character of Color, Femslash, Friendship, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Character of Color, Novel, Prostitution, Romance, Wordcount: 50.000-100.000, Wordcount: Over 50.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2013-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-29 22:20:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 99,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3912712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarvingLunatic/pseuds/StarvingLunatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe and Mallory seem set in their ways, but Poe's way includes being bad with talking to women. That's where Mallory comes in. As a "professional," Poe hires Mallory with the hope that she can relax and then get comfortable with talking to women. They both get more than they bargain for in the exchange, though. F/F</p><p>*This story is based on a Kim Possible fanfic I wrote called <em><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1965168">There for You</a>.</em>*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightlife

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Welcome to another original story by this lunatic. The story and the characters are mine. Do not use them without my permission. Also, any and all characters, events, and situations found in these stories are fictional. If there are any similarities between these things and real people, events, and situations, it is purely a coincidence.
> 
> I'm sure you know there will be a sexual relationship between two women, but if you don't know this is me warning you. There will be a sexual relationship between two women in this story. 
> 
> If this story looks familiar to anyone, it’s because its actually based on a fanfic I wrote called “[There for You](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1965168).” The characters are different, but the plot is very similar. I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Many thanks to my betas – Rleef and RevSrVixena.

Comfort Zone

Cover by [StarvingLunatic](http://starvinglunatic.deviantart.com/art/Mallory-and-Poe-cozy-348709301).

1: Nightlife

Mallory Glen donned the last piece of her working persona – Scarlet. She applied blood red lipstick to her puckered lips and assessed herself in the mirror for a final time, critical cerulean eyes slowly checking each part of her. Her strapless black dress clung to her as if she had been poured into it, showing off her smooth, creamy skin. A corset underneath made sure her ample cleavage was in display to make any person drool at her feet. Her makeup was flawless and made her deep blue eyes bewitching. Her wild, dark crimson locks were tamed down her back, but still had its natural curl to keep its somewhat fierce appearance. She was now Scarlet – dark goddess of fire, ice, and, of course, lust. 

She fastened a diamond necklace around her throat and slipped a matching tennis bracelet on her left wrist. They were gifts from a client that she rarely wore, but she was told to have a touch of class to her. Most people in her position would not wear such a thing, but she could hold her own better than most. Slipping on her sling-back heels, adding height that she did not really require, she grabbed her clutch purse for the night. She winked at herself, chuckling as she left her bedroom and her chic apartment.

She smiled at the doorman as he held the door. She knew he was checking her out, which he always did. Proving her right, he playfully whistled at her as soon as she passed him. She did not give him a second glance as she walked into the warm night air to a waiting Benz, where her driver was holding open the door. He was a big man, appearing as if he were going to bust out of his dark blue suit.

“Baran, man, I told you lay off the steroids,” Scarlet teased as she eased into the plush, tan leather seats.

He growled, which only made her smirk. He slammed her door with an unnecessary force to undoubtedly warn her to watch her mouth. The very thought tickled her. _We both know that ain’t gonna happen_ , she thought as she pulled out her pack of cigarettes. 

“Hey, you’re not smoking right before a date, and you’re definitely not smoking in the car,” Baran barked as he eased into the driver’s seat.

“Calm down, Bear, before you scare your mustache off,” she remarked with a smirk. “Although, that might improve your looks.” 

Baran snorted, which made his thick mustache bristle a bit. The mustache matched his short, bushy black hair. His rigid, rough face complete with a scar through his right eyebrow made him look like a thug, even dressed in an expensive suit.

“Stop calling me Bear and don’t smoke in the car,” he ordered as he pulled the car away from the curb.

“What? You stop looking like a Bear and I’ll stop calling it like I see it. I’m not going to smoke in the car. I’m just checking to see how many I have left,” she informed him.

“I thought you were quitting.”

“Just as Rome was not built in a day, my carving for nicotine has not waned in a day.” 

“You’ve been quitting for a year.”

She frowned. “What are you, my father? I don’t go around asking you about how many times you go to the leather bar, do I?”

He growled at her, but that was the end of their conversation until they got to her destination. “Don’t forget to check in,” he reminded her out of obligation as he opened her door.

She waved him off. “It’s not my first date.”

She received a snort for her comment, which she expected. Since she was no longer in the car, she did not pay him any mind. Outside of the car, he did not exist. She, instead, focused on the restaurant where she was meeting her date. She had been there a few times.

Scarlet practically glided into the place, turning heads as she moved. She went to the bar to wait for her date to find and acknowledge her. Flashing the bartender a sweet smile aided by a hint of bouncing cleavage, she received service immediately.

“You have to be Scarlet,” a man commented with a smile as he swaggered over.

Turning, she now gave him a seductive smile. “And you must be my date for the night, Charles Bench.”

He smiled and nodded while taking her hand and kissing her fingers. She fought the urge to roll her eyes, finding that she would never get used to a false gentlemanly manner. He helped her down off of the bar stool and they went to their table. When they sat down, he let his sleeve roll up to show off his expensive watch. He met her eyes and smiled nervously at her. She reached across the table, putting her hand over his.

“Hey, you don’t have to impress me. I’m yours, so calm down and act natural,” she told him softly with an enchanting smile.

He let loose an awkward laugh. “Sorry. I’ve never done this before. My coworker told me about your agency and said I should try it. I’ve been so stressed recently. I might have to lay some people off and my marriage is on the rocks.”

Scarlet was not surprised that he had a sob story. She met a lot of people in her line of work that needed to justify why they were seeing her. She honestly did not care, but she had to pretend to be sympathetic, so she listened with half an ear and chimed in when pertinent. She made sure to smile and cast him alluring glances through out dinner. He was hooked already and begging to be reeled in, so she did not have to put forth much effort, but she did what she did best.

After the meal, Scarlet allowed Charles to take her to his car. He drove a black roadster, but when she got in, she could tell it was not his car. There were no little personal items that people tended to keep in their cars. Actually, after giving it the once-over, she saw that there was really nothing in the car at all. She did not begrudge him. It was his fantasy night.

“Do you want to hear some music or anything?” he offered, glancing at the many buttons on the dash. She was not sure if they would turn on the radio or fly them to the moon and from the tremble in his voice, she thought he might be of the same mind.

“I’m fine,” she assured him and watched as he breathed a sigh of relief.

They arrived at one of the many posh, elegant hotels in the city. This one was ranked one of the best five-star hotels in the city. She checked in with Baran while Charles checked into their room. It was standard room rather than a suite with lush, soft blue carpet and a king-sized bed in the center of the room. The bed was piled high with fluffy pillows that they would not need and covered with a thick navy blue comforter that she would not get to enjoy.

There were a couple of pictures on the walls. There was also a large television on the wall with the remote sitting on a dark wooden nightstand by the bed. Underneath the television, on a stand, waited a bottle of champagne as well a bowl of strawberries and grapes and a plate with some cheese. Charles went to inspect things over there while Scarlet checked out the bed, finding it to be soft, but firm enough to be comfortable. _If only I could enjoy it for sleep_ , she thought.

“Shall we, my dear?” Charles offered, holding up the bottle of champagne and two glasses.

She smiled, eyes almost glinting. “Please,” she purred and watched him shudder.

He fumbled a bit as he poured the champagne, but managed to avoid spilling any. She sipped it slowly, making a show of it, trailing her own finger down her neck as she did so. His eyes fixated on her and he gulped down the champagne. She moved onto the bed as he poured himself another and set herself up against the mountain of pillows, watching him like a lioness watching a gazelle. He smirked and decided to put down his glass.

“You sure are sexy,” he commented in a breath.

“I get even sexier when the clothes come off. Would you like to do the honors or would you like me to put on a show?” She made sure her eyes burned, beckoning him to her. Usually, she knew these things in advance, but Charles had given minimum amount of details for his date when he booked her, mostly because he wanted it to be like a real date.

The fire that already sparked in his eyes seemed to go nuclear. “I’d love for you to put on a show,” he replied, his voice almost choked with lust.

A feral smile spread across her face. She preferred the show, just to give him an idea of what future dates would be like with her. She stood up and sauntered over to him, making sure that her breasts bounced with every step. Her cleavage caught his attention and held it. She doubted he even realized how close she was until she touched him. Grabbing his wrists, she twirled him to the bed, backed him up to it, and forced him to sit down. His eyes went wide, surprised by her strength more than likely, and he gasped, but covered it up with a laugh.

Scarlet did not give him much time to process her power, immediately going into her show. She gyrated her hips to a song in her head and slapped his hands away when they reached for her hips. He gave her a heated, but wounded glare. She offered him a promising smile for his troubles, silently letting him know that a little teasing could be a good thing. He seemed to accept that, eventually keeping his hands to himself, which earned him another, more sensual smile. After a few more moves, she put his hands on her hips, wordlessly letting him know that things would not happen until she allowed things to happen.

“You feel good,” Charles said, as she allowed his hands to wander her hips and waist.

“Oh, but that’s just the beginning,” Scarlet pointed out, bringing one of his hands up to her chest and letting his fingers roll over her soft breasts.

He groaned. “You do feel so good.”

She almost rolled her eyes because she knew that she felt good, but instead, she let a sexy smirk curl onto her face, not that he was paying attention to her face. Her hips and breasts hypnotized him, which was what she wanted. Moving things along, she reached for her dress’ zipper. She slowly lowered it, catching his attention when he happened to glance to see what her hands were up to. The room was so quiet that they could hear the teeth of the zipper unlocking. He tried pulling the dress down, but she smacked his hands away.

“Uh-uh,” she chided him, shaking her index finger at him. “Not yet. This is still my show.”

“C’mon,” he huffed impatiently.

“Trust me, it’s worth the wait,” she remarked as she winded in a sensual manner. She eased her dress down and he whimpered as she revealed black lace undergarments. His eyes devoured her body as it was shown, inch by inch.

He reached out for her again, but a glance from her made him pull his hands back. Internally, she smiled. _He’s learnin_ g. She took his hands and placed them on her sides, listening to his breathing increase. She stepped closer to him, causing him to spread his legs, so that she could stand between them. She leaned down, close to his mouth, but grabbed his hair and gently pulled his head back as he tried to kiss her. He looked up at her, brown eyes beseeching her.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked in a whisper, practically breathing into his mouth.

Charles could only whimper and nod. _I bet he didn’t even know he wanted it like this, wanted me to control him and not the other way around_. She smirked and pulled back a little. He groaned, disappointed and needy. She leaned back in.

“Are you ready for this? Until you answer, using your words, it isn’t going to happen,” Scarlet informed him. “So, are you ready for this?”

“I am. God, I want you so much,” he growled.

Her eyes lit up as she smiled down at him. “Then why don’t you have me?”

Relief and fire blazed in Charles’ dark eyes. She knew the look as she grabbed his hands as he reached for her. He frowned at her and his hands shook in her secure grip.

“Don’t rush. We’ve got several hours,” Scarlet softly reminded him, not wanting him to think that she was scolding him.

While his chest was heaving in anticipation, Charles’ hands stilled. She guided his hands over her body, lightly touching her skin as well as her lacy garments. Once he seemed totally settled, she let his hands to ties of her corset. He let out a long exhale as he undid the corset and then eased her out of her panties. With that out of the way, she settled down on the bed and pulled him with her. He moaned as she helped him out of his suit and pressed their nude forms together.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe Bryant yawned, almost causing her to lose the thin paintbrush that was caught between her lips. She scratched her head despite having paint on her tan fingers and under her short nails. Her long ebony hair was messy from sweat and neglect, anyway. She doubted a little paint would hurt it, except maybe clash with the lilac dye job that graced the front of her head. _I’ll take a shower when I’m done with this anyway and wash my hair_.

Taking the paintbrush from her mouth, she was about to go back to her canvas when her cellphone started going off. “Shit!” she hissed as she very nearly made the wrong mark on her painting. The ringtone let her know just who was calling, not that it was hard to determine since only five people tended to call her.

 _Dammit, Nadi, what do you want from my life now?_ Huffing, Poe tore herself from her seat and moved to find her phone. She scanned the apartment for the irksome phone. Her brow furrowed as she noticed the phone was not in usual place. She scratched her head.

“I need to clean this place,” she muttered, but knew it was never going to happen.

Her loft apartment was organized chaos in her opinion. Everything had its place, but a bunch of things had places right next to or on top of each other. Of course, the fact that she did not have much helped. Moving some clothes that she had recently worn and had carelessly discarded on the floor, she discovered the missing phone. By then, the customized ring stopped, but started up again as Poe held it, which she expected.

“Yes, Nadi?” Poe said with blatantly false cheer.

“Don’t take that tone with me. Where the hell are you?” Poe’s best friend and self-proclaimed babysitter demanded.

“Uh …” Poe scratched her head. “Home …” she replied hesitantly, innately knowing that was the wrong answer.

A heavy sigh came before a tight reply. “I should’ve known. Listen to me, you get your ass showered and dressed appropriately for this damn party, and you get your ass here ASAP,” Nadi ordered.

“Shit, I lost track of the time.”

“I bet you did. Now, do what I say and get here now!”

Poe winced as Nadi hung up on her. She glanced at the time on her phone and winced again. She was supposed to have arrived at the party over an hour ago. She rushed to take a shower and struggled to do something with her hair beyond just wear it straight down. Typically the most that she did as far as taking care of her appearance was at least trying to style her hair. Unfortunately, she never could do much on short notice.

She brushed her long, silky hair and pulled it back into a tight braid. She let her band lilac-colored hair dangle by the side of her face. With that done, she brushed her teeth and threw on the last set of clean clothes hanging on her clothing rack, which was situated in her “bedroom.”

Poe had a corner of the loft shielded from the rest of the apartment by a section of mismatched curtains. Behind the curtains, there were a couple of very cheap, white dressers and a pipe for her clothes. Her bed had originally been a simple futon mattress that had been laid on the floor. Her mother had forced her to get a platform for it after Nadi told her what Poe had been sleeping on. So, she got a very low plateau platform for the futon.

She slipped on a pair of boot-cut jeans and a tank top that had a mountain scene depicted on it. Once she had on her sneakers, it occurred to her that she needed a ride, so she called a cab. As she waited for the cab, she turned her attention back to her painting. The sight made her frown.

“Why isn’t this working out better? Maybe I should sketch it out again. It looks like a hot mess.” Poe considered different colors, different strokes, and even removing some of the planned pieces, but as she worked those things out in her mind, she found herself still dissatisfied. She shook the thought away as she heard a horn blaring outside, knowing it to be her cab.

The ride to the party was silent. Poe did not make it a point to talk with cabdrivers, even when they tried to engage her. Thankfully, this cabdriver had nothing to say. He merely gave her a doubtful look when she gave him the address. He gave her another when he pulled up to the establishment.

“You sure this is where you want to go?” he asked, almost as if questioning her sanity.

“Yeah,” she groaned as she paid him and exited the taxi.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself before she marched into the restaurant, earning long stares from workers and patrons alike. She ignored them and went to the main hall, where there was a huge gathering. Ladies wearing expensive dresses and men wearing their best suits were in attendance. Poe hardly felt out of place, as it definitely was not her first time showing up to such a formal event dressed as if she were going to the grocery store. She would not be surprised to find out that some people had come to expect it of her, even though most people still gawked at her like she was a museum exhibit.

“I hate these things,” Poe muttered to herself as she navigated the party. 

Once again, she received stares; glares in some cases. She would not have been surprised if someone called security to have her removed. But, there were a few people that recognized her and kept her from being thrown out by going over to greet her. Others were curious, so they came over to see who Poe was and why she was allowed into the gathering.

“Poe, my dear, I was enchanted by your Sunset Cougar piece. I must know when your next showing is,” a woman practically cooed, attaching herself to Poe’s muscular arm.

Poe easily slipped the grip. “I’m not sure when my next show is.” _Why do people always wanna touch?_

“What about your next book? When will it be out? My niece has been dying to get the new one and I would be in your debt if you autographed it again,” another woman said, sliding her hand down Poe’s arm.

“My son has both Maru the Dragon Slayer books,” a man chimed in with a warm smile.

Poe could only offer a smile and resisted the urge to correct the man about her book series. Just because her paladin, a female knight in a medieval fantasy world had killed a dragon in the first book, it did not mean she was referred to as a dragon slayer. But, it was unimportant, especially when she was snatched from behind and spun around, staring up at blazing hazel eyes. The furious gaze belonged to Nadira Moore.

“Uh … Hi, Nadi,” Poe said with an anxious grin. The crowd seemed to melt away, as if they knew something private and not pretty was about to occur.

“Don’t ‘hi’ me like this is perfectly acceptable. Where the hell have you been?” Nadi demanded. Her anger sort of contrasted with her soft, chocolate features, especially with her makeup.

Poe was all too aware that was a trick question. She looked to her other best friend to help. Justin Haywood was at Nadi’s side as always, as was his duty as her boyfriend. He was wearing a tuxedo and tugging at the shirt collar while Nadi was focused on Poe. When he saw Poe’s dark gaze on him, he shrugged.

“I already got in trouble,” he commented, cobalt eyes glancing away.

“Is it because you tried to wear jeans, too? How did she get you in a suit?” Poe asked, even though it was not the first time that she had seen him in such a thing. She was just all too aware how he felt about formal clothing.

“She forced me, like always,” he grumbled, shifting on his feet a bit. He tried not to look uncomfortable, but failed as he always did. He also looked a little out of place, like Poe, because his ebony colored hair was spiked and the tips were dyed a frosty blue.

Nadi waved him off. “Ignore him. I didn’t force him to do anything. I just made sure he was dressed appropriately for the evening.” 

“She threatened no sex for a month. That’s force in my book,” Justin complained, folding his arms across his chest.

Poe nodded in agreement, which earned her a pop in the bicep from Nadi. “Ow!”

“You know better than to encourage him. Now, what the hell are you wearing?” Nadi barked.

Poe shrugged. “Clothes. They were the only clean things in the place.”

“How is that even possible?” Nadi huffed, throwing her lithe arms in the air.

“What? It was what happened. I don’t have any other clean clothes. Why do you have to make such a big deal about things?” Poe asked with a frown.

“Because once again you look like a damned bum. You know you’re supposed to dress nicely for these things, yet once again, you totally disregard that. How can you show up to my important event looking like this?” Nadi replied, speaking through gritted teeth.

Poe glanced away for a second, feeling a pinch of shame, but she was able to push it away. Nadi was the reason that she was at the party. Nadi was a dancer and a performance artist, working in popular shows in the city’s theater district. She currently had the lead role in a show, which she had worked hard for.

Nadi often got invited to parties because her career, and undoubtedly because of her looks and talent. Sometimes, the parties were fundraising events for productions, or celebrations for great openings, or great show runs, or just parties thrown by producers or other people involved in a show, or even just wealthy patrons of the arts. Almost always Nadi’s invitations were to elegant, sophisticated, high-class social events and Poe was expected to dress accordingly. Of course, that rarely happened because Poe did not hold the gatherings in the same esteem as others.

“Poe, do I really have to show up at your house every party and dress you? You’re worse than Justin,” Nadi stated, motioning to her boyfriend, who was fiddling with his jacket. She slapped his hand down, causing him to yelp.

“What? I’m fine.” Poe glanced down at her outfit. She had come to other parties dressed as she was and nothing happened. She did not understand why Nadi always got on her case about these things. 

“You are not fine. I had hope that you’d at least be able to get a date, but everyone is going to think you’re some hobo that wandered in. No woman in her right mind is going to want to go out with you,” the dancer pointed out.

“Well, if you can’t get a date, then let’s try to get a commission,” Justin suggested with a grin. He grabbed Poe by the hand and dragged her off before Nadi could lay into them anymore. They laughed when they felt they were a safe distance from Nadi.

“I thought she was going to cut my head off,” Poe commented with a chuckle.

“She probably was. She had big plans for you tonight,” he told her.

Poe’s brow furrowed and she scratched her head. “Big plans? More blind dates or something?”

“Of course, and just introducing you to women. You know she worries about you and you showing up dressed like that – and I envy you, by the way, in that outfit – only makes her worry more.”

She huffed, puffing out her tan cheeks. “I know, but this was really the only clean thing. I totally forgot all about this party and I haven’t done laundry in who knows how long. This was all I had.”

He smiled a little bit, causing his dark blue eyes to shine. “But, even if it wasn’t, you’d have worn it, anyway.” She was always more likely to show up in casual clothing than formal.

She laughed. “Yeah, maybe. Come on, let’s try to make some money and not piss Nadi off any more than we have.”

“Amen to that.”

The pair searched for patrons while keeping an eye on Nadi since she was walking the room alone now. Nadi was lithe and glided whenever she moved. Poe guessed that it had something to do with being a dancer because her mother moved with just as much elegance and her mother was a former dancer, now a dance teacher. The way Nadi moved, stood, and just about everything about her made her seem to belong at fancy galas, sipping the best champagne, even though she was not old enough to drink yet. Added to that, Nadi was gorgeous.

Poe recalled that the first time she saw Nadi, all she could think was that Nadi was the prettiest girl in existence, and then, as was Nadi’s nature, she started ordering people around and Poe decided that she was the bossiest person on Earth. But, the point was that when Nadi was on her own, Poe and Justin watched her like a hawk because, even though she liked to pretend otherwise, Nadi got into her fair share of trouble. Sometimes guys would get too touchy with Nadi and Poe and Justin felt it was their duty to come to her rescue.

“Stop checking out my girl,” Justin teased, bumping Poe with his hip.

Poe rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Please, that’s a coral snake there. All pretty colors and deadly poison. You can have her.”

He shrugged. “She’s going to find you someone just like her. Delicious chocolate on the outside with a bossy caramel center,” he joked.

Poe laughed and they went back to searching for patrons. She imagined that they looked a sight with her casual outfit and him in a tux while having his sandy blond hair spiked and the tips dyed a frosty blue. Some people flocked to them, possibly because of their odd appearance, but mostly because the people knew them or knew of them already.

“You’re Justin Haywood? I actually just purchased one of your pieces to hang in my foyer. I love it,” a gentleman declared and then he spared Poe a slightly less than impressed glance. “Is this your girlfriend?” While the sneer did not curl his lip, it was in his voice.

Justin almost jumped away from Poe, which would not have surprised her. “Girlfriend?” He chuckled and shook his head. “No, no, this a fellow painter and my best friend, Poe Bryant.”

“Poe Bryant? You write those books about that girl knight, right? You paint, too? Amazing,” another man declared. He had been standing there to engage Justin like the first man, but now his attention was on Poe.

Justin gave Poe a lazy smile as a few more brave souls came over to talk with them. Poe did not really engage in the conversation beyond answering questions. She eased back whenever someone got too close, but never completely retreated. She spoke with confidence when she did and friendly, smiling whenever it seemed called for. Occasionally, a woman would caress her bare bicep or forearm and Justin would give her an encouraging smile. Poe always stepped just out of the woman’s reach, making sure to keep smiling and speaking, so not to appear rude.

 _Has Nadi told everyone she’s ever met that I’m a lesbian?_ It explained why Poe often got unwanted touches from women whenever she was anywhere with Nadi. She did not mind the attention, but she wished that they would not touch her without her permission. She also wished that they would try to seriously talk to her instead of acting like fans or just seductresses.

By the end of the night, Poe knew that she was in trouble again. Those hazel eyes of the bossiest woman on Earth glared at her as Nadi stormed over to her. Nadi slapped her in the bicep. Poe yelped.

“Don’t wince like that hurt. I saw you running from all of those women. Did you get a date from any of those women that crowded around you tonight?” Nadi demanded.

“I was trying to get work, not a date,” Poe pointed out, rubbing her arm.

“You need a date way more than you need work. When was your last date? Senior prom? That was three goddamn years ago. You need to date and you need to get laid,” Nadi insisted. “You need someone to take care of you, so I don’t have to keep babysitting you.”

“Most of those women were fans. They were just saying how they liked my work. No one asked me to go anywhere and I don’t want to date any of them or anything like that.”

The dancer sighed as Justin slipped her jacket onto her shoulders. The trio marched outside and Nadi gave Poe a sidelong glance before sighing. Nadi shook her head.

“No jacket either? What am I going to do with you?” Nadi wondered aloud. It was a warm night, so Poe figured that Nadi was now just in a mood over her. “We’ll give you a ride home,” the chocolate-skinned woman proposed.

Poe shook her head. “I’m good on my own.”

“Like hell you are. It’s midnight. Get in the car,” Nadi commanded.

Poe threw her hands up and did as ordered. Justin drove as they all discussed what they hoped would come from attending the party. When Justin pulled up to Poe’s building, Nadi got out, too. She walked Poe up to her loft.

“Hey, Poe, I know I ride you a lot, but it’s because you still hide from people. You’re a great person and not everyone is going to hurt you. I know it’s hard to believe, but you know not everyone is bad and when you open up, you always make good friends. You can’t shut out the world,” Nadi said, almost imploringly.

“I’m not,” Poe argued. It was not something she did consciously, anyway.

“You are. Look, I got this for you.” Nadi went into her pocket and pulled out a card. She handed it to Poe, whose eyes almost fell out of her skull when she saw the card.

“An escort service? Are you nuts?” Poe hollered.

Nadi put her hand over Poe’s mouth. “Keep your voice down, so the neighbors don’t hear!”

“You want me to hire an escort?” Poe demanded, her voice muffled by Nadi’s hand.

“Just to get back into the swing of things. I know it’s been at least a year since you’ve had sex. Have a wild night to relax and then we can worry about dating.”

Poe twisted her mouth up. “Would they even do this? I’m a girl.”

“I know that. I checked already. You’re fine. Just call. Have some fun, Poe. You deserve it. Don’t shut yourself up in your cave and drown out the world.”

Poe sighed and nodded. “I don’t do it on purpose, you know?”

“I know. I want you to get out more, live a little,” Nadi said softly.

Poe managed a small smile to show that she understood. Nadi gave her a kiss on the cheek as a farewell. Poe slipped the card into her pants’ pocket as Nadi left. Sighing, she looked around her apartment.

“It’s not a cave. It’s just furnished like one,” she grumbled, twisting her mouth up briefly. “Not that I care. I should get back to that painting.” Looking at the piece, she was reminded of how much work the painting needed. Just the thought exhausted her. “To hell with that.”

She turned her attention to her computer. She should sit down and write as she was supposed to be working on the third book in her series: Maru, Knight of the Realm. It was a popular series set in a fictional medieval period with kings, dragons, and magic. Usually, she delighted in writing Maru’s adventures, but lately, she had been more in a painting mood than anything else.

“And look at what that’s gotten me,” she scoffed at the painting. “I don’t wanna write or paint.” Looking around, she suddenly did not feel like being in the apartment. Turning around and stepping out the door, she went out in search for the one thing that she knew would make her feel better. “I need soccer.”

-8-8-8-8-

Scarlet exited the hotel, going right to Baran, who was waiting for her across the street. She handed him an envelope. He leafed through the money inside and then began driving.

“Going home?” he asked.

“No, take me to Goodies. I need a drink,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Make sure the crazy lady Tat gets that money, so I don’t have to hear her shit.”

“Don’t call her that.” They both knew that Baran would make sure the money got to where it needed to because he was scared to death of “the crazy lady.”

She scoffed. “Tell her to stop being crazy and I’ll stop calling her that.”

He snorted and kept driving. He pulled up to the bar and grill that she liked to go to after work. It was called the Goode Bar, but most people that went there called it “Goodies.” It stayed open late, which was one of the things that she liked about it.

Stepping out of the car, Scarlet did not bother to turn around as Baran drove off, even though she would have to find her own way home. She did not mind and she went into Goodies, finding it empty for the most part. Only the owner and his son were within view. She smiled seductively at the son, who was the bartender.

“Hey, Lysander,” she purred as she sat down at the bar. He smiled at her as he stood before her.

“What can I get for the pretty lady?” Lysander asked, making eyes at her and flexing his massive muscles. His pecs jumped under his short-sleeve shirt.

Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlet could see his father, Leander Goode, glaring at her. He always did when he saw her and Lysander playing their flirty game. Leander obviously knew what she did for a living, not that she knew how he came by that knowledge. He never came right out and said it, but the disgust in his eyes was evidence enough. He was of the opinion that she would corrupt his precious son and he was not shy about sharing that.

“Gimme the usual,” Scarlet told Lysander.

“Well, I would, but you’re not my type,” the bartender remarked with a chuckle and a wink as he moved to pour her drink.

She could not figure out how Leander did not know his son was gay. Lysander was better groomed than she was and always up-to-date fashion-wise. The pride he took in his appearance made him good eye candy and, if indulged, he would talk about his grand looks all day long. He was practically wearing a sign that announced he was gay. Some of his mannerisms were close to flaming, not that she cared. He also liked flirting, which she could get behind.

“Long night?” Leander sneered, glaring at her with dark eyes.

Scarlet ignored him. She knew that toward most of his other patrons he was an extreme gentleman, but she rubbed him the wrong way from the first time that she came in the bar. In fact, she watched as he personally carried a drink to a customer that she had not noticed earlier.

She was surprised that the only other person in the bar was a girl. She was tucked in the corner of a booth, watching something on one of Goodies’ many television. It was an odd sight because it was past two in the morning and Goodies would actually be closed in a little while. It was hardly safe for her to be out alone.

“Who’s the kid?” she asked Lysander, pointing at the girl. 

Lysander shrugged. “She comes in here to watch in soccer sometimes. She’s good friends with my father.” 

“Yeah, so you leave her alone. She’s a good kid and doesn’t need to be mixed up with the likes of you,” Leander stated soundly as he made his way back over to them.

Scarlet chuckled. “Now, I feel the urge to buy her a drink. What’s she drinking?”

Lysander shrugged. “Father takes her order.”

“Gimme another usual.”

Lysander made the drink, even though his father glared at him. She smiled in triumph and winked at the fuming middle-aged bar owner. She sauntered over to the table, but the girl did not look away from her game. Scarlet was a bit shocked by being ignored, especially in a dress that she knew for a fact caused both men and women to stop and stare. She eased the drink on the table just the same. That caused deep, almost puppy-like chocolate almond-shaped eyes to gaze up at her. _She’s adorable!_ The light purple streak in her hair only added to her cuteness.

“I figured I buy another night owl a drink,” Scarlet commented with a half-smirk.

“I’m not old enough to drink,” she replied curtly, pushing the drink away. Her eyes went right back to the television.

Scarlet frowned because of the rudeness. “Then you shouldn’t be in a bar.”

The girl sighed. “Look, I just want to watch my match in peace.”

“Then you should do it at home.” Scarlet cut her losses and walked away. Leander openly laughed at her.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe returned home, sighing. She realized that she had probably blown a chance with a redheaded goddess just because she was in a piss-poor mood and only wanted to watch football while sipping some soda. She slapped herself in the forehead.

“What type of moron am I? She was practically sitting in my lap and I dismissed her. Stupid.” She sighed again. She figured it was time to end the bad day by going to bed. Checking her pockets before she took off her pants, she pulled out the card Nadi gave her. “Even Nadi thinks I’m too pathetic to find a date on my own. Well, I’ll show her.”

She was going to throw the card out, but found herself unable to do so. Instead, it ended up on her cluttered art desk while she took a shower.

-8-8-8-8- 

Next time: Mallory enjoys a day off and Poe sets out to get a date.


	2. Trying Something New

2: Trying Something New

Mallory awoke sometime in the afternoon. Yawning, she scratched her head and then her flat belly. She was tempted to lay back down and sleep some more, but glancing at her clock, she knew it was time to start her day. She sat up and yawned again. 

“I gotta go to the gym,” she pushed herself because usually the thought of working out was enough to get her out of bed, but not right now. “Gotta work out.” She growled as she cast her covers off, revealing her nude body to her empty bedroom. She swung her legs over the queen-sized bed and managed to stumble to her bathroom.

A hot shower woke her up completely and made her feel human again. She made herself look halfway presentable by her standards, which meant she looked breathtaking by other people’s standards. Once that was out of the way, she had some breakfast, which consisted of oatmeal with raisins, a favorite of hers since she was a child. She also made a mental note that she had to buy some more oatmeal, as she had just eaten the last of it, and some other essentials. After that, she put on her workout clothes and took the short walk to her favorite gym.

She went through her usual exercises while conversing with a few friends. They made plans to hit some clubs, but could not pin down a date that was good for all of them. They would get around to it eventually, as they always did. It just always took a while. Despite the plans to go clubbing, the gym was full of serious gym nuts, so everyone was about working out. Most people were talking about their bodies. Mallory fell right into line with that.

The redhead often felt she was in paradise when she went to the gym. She liked toning her body and getting stronger; she always had. She also enjoyed looking good. Being in shape made her feel good, both physically and mentally. She was able to clear her head when she worked out and do some thinking. She also felt clear to indulge in her many vices since she felt like working out and eating decently would wipe those away.

Her afternoon was spent at the gym; almost five full hours because she had not been there in several days thanks to work. Generally, she would spend one to two hours at the gym. She walked back home and took another hot shower. She preferred showering at home, probably because her shower was much better than the one at the gym. She had two showerheads and much better water pressure. Her shower was not as long as earlier, but just as satisfying.

She went back out, shopping for her essentials, especially breakfast foods, at a market that was only a few blocks from her apartment. When she returned home, she put the items away and then curled up with a good book on her sofa. She tucked her legs underneath her and found the page that she had been on when last she read this book.

“I wonder how many people would guess how normal my days off are. Normal and boring,” she snickered to herself. _Well, boring until my friends can figure out when everyone can get together and go out_. 

She smiled as she flipped the pages of her thick book. In the digital age and time of ereaders, she still loved the feel of a real book. She enjoyed turning pages. She liked feeling the texture of a page. Even the way the paper smelled, ranging from the crisp new prints to the worn older ones, filled her with joy. For some reason, she felt like it all added to the experience of the story and helped the book come to life.

“I don’t know how serious readers use tablets and their phones to read stuff,” she mumbled, shaking her head. 

As it got a little later, she ordered some takeout for dinner, as was her habit. She thought it was weird that she felt fine cooking breakfast for one, but thought it was a waste of time to cook dinner for one. She set her book down to check her appointments. While she liked reading full, complete books, she kept all her appointments logged in her work phone. She also checked to see if she had any messages from her so-called boss. She never answered her work phone on her days off, so her boss had learned to leave messages, even though she swore that was beneath her.

“Nothing pressing,” she noted as she listened to the voice mails.

The only messages that she had were about new appointments. She put those into her phone and tossed the device to the far end of couch, not wanting to think about it for the rest of the night. The intercom buzzed, announcing the arrival of her takeout delivery. With her dinner paid for and the delivery guy tipped handsomely, she ate dinner and then returned to her book with a glass of wine in hand.

Now that everything was settled and she had nothing left to take care of for the night, the quiet seemed to bounce off the walls as she read. She was used to it and it did not happen very often, but it caused a bit of anxiety flutter in her blood whenever she noticed it. She figured it was just a symptom of living alone and rarely watching television. She had a little more wine to help the silence fade from her mind and focused on her book.

“Just me, my book, and my booze,” she joked, forcing out an awkward smile for her own benefit. She read a few more lines of the book, finding that she was drawer closer to the end, which only made things worse. “I might need something stronger if I really want to dismiss the quiet.”

She had been doing a good job ignoring the silence, but after a while it always crept upon her, even if she turned on something for some background noise. The silence somehow sneaked underneath things, but she turned on some music to try to beat it. Even with music going, she could still feel the anxiety in her blood. Once she was done with her wine, she decided to have something a little stronger. It would cure the quiet.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe sighed and dropped her paintbrush. No matter how much she worked on her latest piece, it continued to be a mess. She could not understand what the problem was, so there was really no way to fix it. Internally, her stomach toiled and rolled, which made it difficult to concentrate.

“Maybe I need to eat something,” she considered, tearing herself away from her wretched canvas.

She pulled out the closest items in her fridge, strawberries and macaroni salad, which her mother had given her on her last visit to her family a few days ago. She ate those as a meal, not even sure what meal because she did not have a displayed clock. It looked like the sun was setting, so she would put the time at least in the evening. Once she ate, she noted that her stomach did not feel better.

“What is wrong with me?” she wondered aloud as she sat back down in front of her painting. Her eyes wandered her desk and fell onto that accursed card Nadi had given her after telling her that she needed to get laid.

She scowled at the card, glaring daggers at it. Of course, it remained unmoved. She picked it up, harshly rubbing her fingers against the thick texture. It was a well-made card, better than the ones that she handed out. It was soiled with flecks of paint from her attempt to work, but nothing was blocked as far as the company name and number. She flung the card down.

“I don’t need no damn escort. I could get a date on my own if I wanted to,” Poe declared, sitting up a little straighter.

She withered a bit as she remembered how effectively she had talked her way out of a possible date with that sexy redhead at Goodies the night before. She was about as smooth as sandpaper in that case. She felt that illustrated her ability to talk to women better than the delusion that she wanted to operate under.

“No, I can get a date, dammit!” she proclaimed.

Leaping up from her seat, she marched to the bathroom and took a shower. She thankfully had done the laundry earlier and threw on her favorite jeans and a soccer jersey. While it was not the sexiest outfit on Earth, it was comfortable and showed off a physique that she was proud of. Lastly, she tamed her hair as best she could, combing it out and letting it hang free for the first time in a long time.

She made sure her lilac streak hung on the side of her face. Her hair had waves in it from being trapped in a braid for so long, but Nadi once assured her that it was cute and all right to wear her hair like that. That was the end of grooming for her.

Poe grabbed her keys, phone, and wallet, leaving the house with no clue as to what time it was or where she was going. Stepping out into the fading daylight, she realized that it might help her if she knew the exact time. Going into her pocket, she checked her phone to see that it was the late evening. If she hurried, she could wander one of her favorite museums for a couple of hours.

“Maybe I could pick up a girl at the modern art museum or something,” she muttered.

One of the things that she loved about her apartment, and one of the reasons that she purchased it, was because it was within walking distance of a lot of museums. Well, it was in walking distance of a lot of things, but the museums were the selling point for her. Museums were generally the only things that she would leave her apartment for on her own, as far as entertainment went anyway. She smiled as she entered the modern art museum.

“Maybe I should start working in another medium. I’m pretty good with plaster,” Poe mused as she stared at a few statues. She noticed a girl a few feet away and was tempted to go to talk to her, but stopped as she considered the possible outcomes. “No, don’t think negative. Just go talk to her.”

Taking a deep breath, Poe steeled herself before easing over to the girl, who was now admiring a piece by Van Gogh.  Poe was not a brilliant student of art as far as time periods and artist biographies. In fact, she barely passed her only art history class. But, she was always good at finding something in the art that spoke to her and she could always discuss technique, even if she could not name the artistic era.

“I really like the colors in this piece,” Poe said.

The girl looked at her and then started going through Van Gogh’s whole life. Poe tensed and resisted the urge to run. _Dammit! I’m a painter! I should know about this shit!_ After her internal scolding, she noticed that the girl was looking at her expectantly. She searched her mind for something to say after blanking out everything the girl uttered.

“Um … I took a class where they made us copy famous artists,” Poe said and as soon as it left her mouth, she mentally slapped herself. _What the fuck was that? Gotta recover!_ “I was never really good when I got to Van Gogh.”

The girl gave her a look, as if skeptical that Poe could even hold a paintbrush. She then went into a very technical lecture about Van Gogh’s technique. Mentally, Poe groaned and found that she wanted to shut in on herself. Or better still, to tell the girl to shut the fuck up. While she knew art technique, she did not feel the need to have a conversation about it, especially with all of the art jargon the girl was using. If all of the art talk was a ploy to get her to leave the girl alone, it worked.

Poe did not care to discuss art, especially when she was producing crap in her opinion. Besides, she preferred to just admire art when she was in a museum. She would not mind talking about why the work was touching, but she did not want to do a technical analysis of any piece. Being able to break down the way the painting was made did not come close to talking about why the piece was produced or why it was worthy to hang in a museum. The girl did not touch on any of that in her dissertation.

“Okay, yes, that’s how the picture was put to canvass, but what do you think he was feeling when he put this to canvass?” Poe asked and the girl looked at her as if she had said something wrong.

“He was probably feeling tortured as always,” the girl replied, the “idiot” went unsaid, but definitely hung in the air between them.

Poe sighed and decided to move on. She tried with a couple of other women, who, too, only seemed to want to lecture her about artists’ lives or method the artist used. She did not care and had to literally bite her tongue not to say that to the third woman. Typically, trips to the museum were not so bothersome, but then again, typically she was not in the museum for the sole purpose to pick up a woman. She left the closing museum dateless.

“Time to try my luck at the club,” Poe mumbled, frowning at the thought.

Of course, she was never lucky at clubs. If she could not talk art as an artist, she really never knew what to talk about in a loud club. Nadi and Justin told her all the time that clubs were not for verbal communication, which she thought was good. She was horrible at verbal communication, after all. Still, she was just as awkward in a club as she was in the art museum.

Bass hummed through her as she made her way into the dark club. She saw moving bodies that at first appeared as one throbbing organism to her adjusting eyes. She often saw crowded areas in that manner and took a mental snapshot, considering making it the subject of a painting. Of course, that meant that she would have to be able to paint again.

“I’ve been producing crap,” she grumbled in regards to her art. She did not have a chance to contemplate it as someone began grinding against her.

She shuddered at the surprise contact and all her mind could think was “escape!” With her heart racing, Poe quickly moved away from any and all gyrating bodies. When her back hit a wall, her heart made its way out of her throat and back into her chest. She had to take a deep breath before venturing back out into the crowd.

“It’s okay. You’ve been to dozens of clubs with and without Nadi. You don’t need her to babysit you,” Poe reminded herself in a low voice. _I just hate it when people touch me without my permission!_

As soon as she finished giving herself that little pep talk, a woman came over to offer to buy her a drink. Just like the last woman to offer, Poe turned her down on the grounds of being too young. The predatory look that appeared on the woman’s face when Poe said “not old enough to drink” caused the artist to practically run for the door. She did not make it far, but far enough to get away from that wolf.

“You’re pretty cut!” a woman said to her, shouting over the music. She motioned to Poe’s partially exposed bicep, but did not touch her.

Poe smiled and flexed. “I work out.”

“It shows. I’m Jillian!”

“Poe.” She offered her hand to the woman. They shared a friendly handshake.

“So, what do you do for a living?”

“Um … I write …” Poe answered.

“Oh, really? Anything I might have read?”

Poe sighed and hoped that Jillian had not read her series. “Uh … a series called Maru: Knight of the Realm.” And the light that came on in Jillian’s eyes was all too familiar to Poe. Jillian was a fan and not the type that Poe could handle. She would not simply ask for an autograph.

“Oh, my god! I just start reading that series after a friend of mine was telling me that the lead character was gay! You know what you should to do in the next book?” Jillian then preceded to tell her everything that needed to be in the third book.

Mentally, Poe groaned and mapped out her escape. While she did not mind people making suggestions, she hated when people told her what to do with her characters. It was her work. She knew what she was doing. She had it all planned out and some people just refused to believe that, as far as she could tell since they liked telling her what she should do. Making matters worse, she also detested when people told her that _her_ character Maru was gay.

“You know, there’s nothing in the books to suggest she’s a lesbian,” Poe felt the urge to point out and decided not to filter herself. She really did not care if people thought the character was gay, but she disliked when people outright _told_ her about her own characters.

“What? There’s plenty. Maru is clearly gay,” Jillian argued.

“Maru is a sixteen year old tomboy with no romantic interests. How is that clearly gay?”

The woman then cited several incidents from the books, which was too much for Poe. She did not want to discuss her work, especially since she knew that so far her character was rather asexual. She just wanted to relax with a woman. Jillian clearly would not be that woman, especially as she went on and on about the books.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go,” Poe said and she quickly departed as Jillian was trying to give Poe her phone number.

The artist escaped the club, sighing as soon as she hit the streets. Knowing that Jillian was not the norm as far as women and fans went, Poe braved another club. Even though it was a different club and different women, Poe found herself still lacking the conversational skills to do anything but fumble.

“How did I ever get dates if I can’t even make it through a night of talking?” Poe muttered to herself. “But then again, I never had a bunch of dates and things were different at school. There was more to talk about.”

A little after midnight, dragging her feet, Poe returned home with her shoulders slumped and her head down. She stripped off her street clothes and put on some paint stained sweat pants and a tank top. She flopped down on her stool, facing her canvas. She picked up a paintbrush, but found her hand refused to move.

“I can’t even paint,” she sniffled, bottom lip trembling. “I’m pathetic. I can’t hold a decent conversation with a girl. I can’t do anything.”

Her eyes fell to the card that was sitting on her desk. A thought began drifting through her mind. She was distracted from the fragment of a haunting idea by her phone ringing. She knew who it was from the ringtone, but she could not answer it until she figured out where she left it. She forgot to take it out if her pants.

“Hi, Mom,” she said, trying not to mumble, but failing. She was surprised that her mother was calling her so late, but she was also happy to just hear from her mother. She realized that she was probably getting the call so late because she had forgotten to call her family earlier, which was her habit.

“Hi, my little Leonardo. How are you?” her mother, Rayne Bryant, asked.

“Struggling. I want to paint, but it’s not coming.”

Her mother made a sympathetic cooing noise. “I’m sorry. Have you tried writing? You usually write when you get a painting block. Your manuscript should be done in a couple of months, right?”

“Yeah, Mom, but I’ll get that done, no problem.”

“You sound so down. I just wanna hold you and pet your head.”

“Mom!” Poe huffed. 

Rayne laughed. “What? You and I both know that always makes you feel better.”

“I’m twenty! I can’t still have my mom petting my head.”

“Well, then we have to find you a lady friend to pet your head. It always makes you feel better. Honestly, I don’t think its fair that I only got eight years to do it. That’s not nearly long enough for me,” Rayne dramatically lamented.

Poe’s heart thumped, even though she knew that her mother was partially joking. “Me, too, Mom. Please never stop offering to pet my head.” She remembered when her mother first caressed her head and it instantly calmed her down. She did not know where it came from, but it comforted her. From that moment on, her mother had petted her head whenever she was feeling down and it helped pick her back up. It also made her feel close to her mother.

“Don’t worry. I won’t.”

Poe smiled. “Mom, you should go to bed. You’ve got classes. I’ll call you this evening, okay?”

“All right, little Leonardo. Your dad wondered why you didn’t call earlier. I got worried, too. Calvin thinks bears got you.”

Poe laughed. “Bears?”

“Yeah, I don’t know why, but he’s now convinced that any time something bad happens, bears or wolves did it. I’m sure it has to do with this myths and legends book your father reads him as bedtime stories. So, call to let your brother know you escaped the bears.”

“Sorry, I went out and lost track of time. I’ll definitely call tomorrow.”

“It’s all right. It’s good that you went out. You’re young. You should go out and have a good time. Do you need anything?” her mother asked with concern.

“No, Mom. I’m good.”

“Eating well?”

Poe laughed. “Yes, Mom! Now, go to bed. You have class in the morning!”

“I’m going. I love you, my little Leonardo.”

“I love you, too. Tell the guys I love them, too.”

“I will.”

The call was disconnected and Poe felt lighter. There were people in the world that cared for her and they were only a phone call away. _So what I can’t get a date?_ Snorting, she turned her attention back to her painting and found herself in the same trouble. The painting had to be cursed as it sucked all the joy her mother had just bestowed upon her.

“Damn you, picture. Damn you, muse. Return to me …” Poe whimpered and rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand. Glazing around the apartment, she took in the emptiness, the lack of warmth, and the stillness.

She thought of her family, everyone in bed by now. Her parents were morning people, typically in bed by ten. She knew that she had worried her parents by forgetting to call if her mother stayed up so late trying to get in touch her. Thoughts of her brother wandered through her mind and she knew he was asleep, as he was always in bed by nine. He was probably snuggled under his Spiderman blankets, wearing his Spiderman pajamas, too. She had covered his bedroom walls in Spiderman characters. He loved it. He loved her.

Feeling a lump raising in her throat, she tried to beat down thoughts that no one else would ever love her. Tearing herself away from the canvas, she rushed out of the apartment. She nearly forgot to take her keys. _Maybe football will help_.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe woke up, not sure of the time. There were lines under her eyes with dark circles. She felt like she needed more sleep, but she would not dare. She noticed she was twisted in the sheets and the more she tried to escape, the more tangled she became. Falling the short distance to the floor, she panted as she crawled out of the possessed linen.

“Is everything destined to go wrong lately?” she huffed, glaring at her wicked bed.

She wandered to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of cold potatoes that she had made last night. Not bothering to warm them up, she drowned them in ketchup and mustard before going back to her painting. As soon as she sat down, that damned card caught her eye and flooded her with the nightmares that visited during her fitful sleep.

Shadows shaped like people had condemned her and abandoned her. There were echoes of people telling her that she was not worth loving, not worth sticking around for, and sounds of footsteps moving away from her. The haunting images and noises twisted her guts and squeezed her heart as if trying to crush the organ.

“This is just because of my damn bad luck with women,” she told herself. “Maybe I should call. It’ll help me relax and I won’t feel so out of sorts around women next time. There’s no pressure here and it might not be so bad. I can get this monkey off of my back and paint again. Hell, write again.”

Her cocoa eyes wandered to her laptop computer. She would not be surprised if dust had gathered on the thing. She had not written anything in over a week. Because of that, she had tried painting, only to fail at that.

Snatching the card from her desk, she went to find her phone. She made the call before she had a chance to chicken out. As it rang, she felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory was nursing her second drink of the night at home when her work phone went off. She debated on answering it. While it was not her day off, she was done with her date and wanted some time to herself. Still, she grabbed the phone.

“What’s up, Tats?” Mallory asked.

“I’ve told you not to call me that,” her boss huffed.

“You’ve told me a lot of things. I clearly don’t listen,” the redhead remarked. “Now, what’s up?”

“I’m going to give you a bunny.”

“You’re trusting me with another bunny?” the redhead chuckled. A bunny was the term that Tatijana liked to use for first customers.

“Because you know how to handle cute little bunnies, despite your treatment of older pets. This particular bunny needs very special care. She sounded ready to run on the phone.”

“She?” Mallory echoed.

“Yes, she. A single little bunny. Is that a problem?”

“No, of course not. It’s just rare for a she-bunny, but I guess they have to show up sometimes. Give me the details.”

Mallory put the information she needed into her phone as soon as she could. It was no more than the basic information, the bare bones that her boss asked for when interviewing potential clients. She was not sure what to expect from the date or what was expected of her, beyond not freaking the girl out. She did not even know what she should wear. She noticed that the address seemed familiar.

-8-8-8-8-

“Are you sure this is where she wants to meet you?” Baran inquired as he pulled up to Goodies.

“This is the address she gave. Weird,” Scarlet commented. “Well, Bear, I’ll call you if I need you.”

“This doesn’t seem right.” He scanned outside of the car, checking out the street.

“Aw, Bear, you’re worried about me!” she proclaimed with a teasing grin.

Baran tensed and bristled. She could have sworn his mustache stiffened. “Shut the hell up and stop calling me that! I hope you get fucking shot!” he barked, glaring at her from the rear view mirror. If looks could kill, he would not have to worry about her getting shot because his eyes would have done her in.

She laughed as she exited the vehicle. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk, causing a girl standing in front of the Goode Bar to turn around. She was shorter than Scarlet, especially since the redhead was in her heels. The girl had tan-colored skin and she was dressed casually in black cargo parts and a tank top that depicted a scene of a castle in the middle of the woods, complete with animals. Scarlet knew that she was overdressed for whatever her date planned, unless they were going right back to the girl’s place. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the girl that had shunned her a few of days ago.

“Poe?” Scarlet asked with a smile that she knew was smug, almost haughty.

Those cute almond-shaped, chocolate eyes blinked in shock and maybe even a hint of terror. “You? You’re Scarlet?” There was a slight tremble in her voice.

“I am.” The smile was morphing into that of a predator.

Poe took a step back and balled her hands into fists. Briefly, Scarlet thought the girl would attack her and considering how stocky the girl was, she was sure Poe packed a decent punch. Her smile dropped and she softened a bit.

“I knew this was a stupid idea. Never mind,” Poe declared and she was about to flee the scene, but Scarlet grabbed her hand before she could escape. Yanking her hand back, Poe almost fell over. “Don’t touch me!”

“Okay, just calm down, Poe. Calm down. I’m sorry for teasing you,” Scarlet said with a straight face. “Please, don’t run off. Besides, my boss will charge you no matter what.”

Poe took a breath that seemed to relax her. “Really?” she asked in adorable disbelief.

“Yeah, so let’s do the date you had planned.”

“Uh … I didn’t really have anything planned. I don’t know what I was thinking when I made that phone call,” Poe sighed and shook her head before scratching the top of her messy ebony hair. The lilac strip of hair hung by the side of her face and only made her seem cuter.

“Then let’s just go back to your place or find a room somewhere,” Scarlet suggested.

“Or we could go walk through Independence Park! They might have something going on!” Poe replied, walking off toward the park.

Scarlet chuckled, but she followed Poe. She doubted that she had ever had a date that wanted to invent things to do rather than just go somewhere private if there were no other plans. The park was a block away. It was a massive area, much like Central Park in New York. There were generally a number of different events going on, especially in the summer. They wandered right into an international food festival.

“Oh, I love these things. They always have the best food. Have you been to one of these?” Poe asked with a smile.

Scarlet shook her head. “I’ve heard about them, but never bothered to go.”

“Well, you’re going now. They’re cool. Sometimes, they have themes, like Island Tastes or Greek Flavors.” Poe looked around. “This looks like just a regular one, which is good for an intro. A lot of restaurants use this as advertising and sometimes just really good cooks come here to show off.”

Scarlet smiled; _her enthusiasm for something like this is adorable_. Poe did not do much talking after that, nothing beyond asking about food. Scarlet scanned the area while Poe focused on the vendors and their goods. The event was like a fair, but instead of rides and games, there were only food stands. It smelled good, she would give it that.

“Wanna try some meatballs?” Poe said, already buying a small bowl.  

Scarlet doubted a trip to a five-star restaurant was on the agenda, but she declined the meatballs. “If I see something I want, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Poe nodded and they continued on. When Poe finished the meatballs, she bought some fried bananas just because they were passing them. When she finished those, she purchased a gyro. Scarlet decided to get one, too, as she figured Poe would keep eating until they got to the end of the area.

“You have a good physique for someone that seems to eat everything,” Scarlet commented.

Poe blushed and chuckled a bit. “Oh! I work out and I do martial arts.”

Scarlet nodded. “I can see it in the way you move. I work out, too. I go to the gym whenever I can.”

“Me, too, but I haven’t been lately. You do martial arts, too?”

“I do. I have since I was a kid. You?”

Poe shook her head. “Since I was thirteen.”

Scarlet nodded and the conversation faded again. The silence was not awkward or deafening. They walked from one end of the food fair to the other, Poe eating more along the way. The sun was gone and the vendors were beginning to pack up.

“I love those things. It’s like traveling the world, one dish at a time,” Poe commented, licking her lips.

Scarlet chuckled. “I’d rather see the sights.”

Poe smiled. “Well, yeah, those are good, too. Have you traveled?”

“A bit. Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, Paris, and a few other cities in Europe. You?”

“Just England with my mom for her dance stuff. I’d like to see some other places, especially Italy.”

“Why Italy?”

“Art,” was Poe’s simple answer and the end of the conversation as well as the park. “I wonder what we should do now.”

Scarlet smiled. “We could go back to your place.”

Those puppy-like eyes went wide. “Uh … we don’t need to do that. We’re having a good time out. I’m fine with this.”

Generally, Scarlet would have let things stay at that and let Poe waste her money, but she could not do that to such an adorable girl. Besides, she was supposed to make sure the little bunny became a repeat customer.

“Look, you take me to your place and I’ll forget how rude you were to me for no reason at Goodies,” Scarlet proposed with a smile.

Poe’s face twisted and she scratched her head. “How about a sorry and a hand shake?” was the counteroffer.

Fiery red hair swayed as the escort shook her head. “Nope, especially since you had me walk around all night in high heels.”

The younger woman yelped. “Sorry about that.”

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it. Let’s get moving,” Scarlet stated. Poe winced and looked as if the redhead requested that she commit seppuku. “Come on, kid, I just want to make you come, not cut off your head. Now, can we go before I can’t walk anymore? I might end up just soaking my feet at your place.”

Scarlet snickered at her own joke while Poe marched off. Scarlet was not sure if the girl was leaving her or leading the way. She decided to check for herself, moving up close to Poe and picking her pocket. Poe noticed immediately.

“Hey! Give it back!” the shorter woman ordered, attacking Scarlet with a surprising spinning kick. 

“Whoa! Calm down! I’m not mugging you!” Scarlet swore as she blocked the kick.

“Then give it back!”

Scarlet continued to defend against the fierce fighter. She tried to look in the wallet, but could not because Poe’s fists and feet seemed to be everywhere. She dropped the wallet and held her hands up in surrender. They were both breathing heavily and Scarlet chuckled.

“You are amazing!” the escort declared.

“You’re not bad either. Why’d you take my wallet? Are you trying to rip me off?” Poe demanded.

“Nope, just wanted to see your address. And since I got your ID, I can,” Scarlet laughed as she held up Poe’s driver’s license. “You live close by.”

Poe’s face practically fell into the dirt. “How’d you do that?”

Scarlet smirked. “I’m a little street savvy. You live five blocks from Goodies. Let’s go. My feet really are killing me.”

Poe sighed and her shoulders slumped. They took the walk to Poe’s building. It was in a decent part of town with several loft apartments. Poe lived in a loft and the space was pronounced because her digs were rather spartan. There was no entertainment center, just a couch with a laptop resting on it. _That explains why she was watching TV at Goodies_.

“You paint,” Scarlet noted, seeing the canvas, paints, and desk cluttered with other art supplies.

“I try. You want something to eat or drink?”

Scarlet smirked. “Yeah, you.”

-8-8-8-8-

Scarlet pouncing caught Poe by surprise, causing her to yelp. Lips on her neck distracted her from her trip to the fridge. She could not help moaning as those lips gently devoured her neck. Her legs wobbled and she knew that she needed to get to the bed or she would fall over.

“Where are you going, Poe?” Scarlet purred her name. The sound made the artist want to melt.

“Just the bed …” Poe answered, holding in a moan. The feel of those lips was so delicious that she could not even freak out over being touched without giving her permission. Of course, she was a lot less high-strung than when she had been trolling for a date. _This is much less pressure, has been all day_.

“Good idea.”

Scarlet’s mouth and hands never left Poe, drawing out more moans. Poe felt like fire was coursing though her veins as she somehow managed to reach the bed. She was about to collapse on it, but she was not sure if the platform would be able to handle the weight. As she eased down, Scarlet followed her, placing a knee on the futon mattress to support herself.

With each touch of Scarlet’s lush lips, Poe felt heat building through her. Scarlet’s wonderful fingertips scorched paths on her body, even with her clothes in the way. From the way that she felt, as if she was going to erupt in ways that rivaled a volcano just from petting, she knew it had been too long since she had been with a woman. _I need to be touched_.

“You actually taste good, very sweet. I didn’t expect that,” Scarlet said, nipping at Poe’s earlobe while pulling Poe’s shirt up. “Is this okay?”

The artist whimpered. “Yes …” she hissed.

Scarlet smiled against her burning flesh. Poe almost screamed when she felt hands against her skin. She had no idea what happened to her shirt and did not care as Scarlet palmed both of her breasts. The massage was gentle and thumbs caressed her nipples. Arching into the delightful sensations, she called out loudly.

“That’s it, baby, let loose. Make all those beautiful sounds,” Scarlet implored her, pinching her taut nipples.

Poe did just that, crying out as she wrapped her arms around Scarlet. The redhead kissed her way down her neck while pushing the younger woman further back onto the bed. Scarlet pulled away only to free herself from her dress and bra. She then moved to get Poe out of her pants and underwear.

Poe panted in anticipation as she found herself memorized by full, swaying breasts. Her hands had minds of their own, reaching for detectable treasures while Scarlet smiled down at her before returning to Poe’s neck. The younger woman shivered as a wet tongue slid down her neck. She would not have been surprised if steam had risen off of her body in the tongue’s wake.

“Oh, god.” Poe lost contact with Scarlet’s glorious rack as the redhead moved further down her body.

“Let go, Poe. Let me give you everything you need,” Scarlet said. Of course, Poe could not respond because she could not speak, could not think. Her brain could only focus on the sensations brought on by Scarlet’s tongue.

When that divine tongue flickered her right nipple while Scarlet’s fingers played with the other, Poe had to clutch Scarlet’s shoulders to keep from flying off of the bed. Her breathing increased, as if she were running a four-minute mile. Her eyes closed tight as hot lips wrapped around her pebbled nipple and, when Scarlet allowed for simple suction, Poe thought her head might blow off of her shoulders and she would surely die.

By the time Poe realized that she had survived, Scarlet had switched peaks and her free hand crept down Poe’s muscled abdomen. Poe tensed, knowing what was coming next. Scarlet giving her left bud more attention caused her to arch and forget about the hand on her stomach until it came to her destination.

“Yes!” Poe hissed.

The puddle between her legs might have embarrassed the artist, but she was too far gone to care. She pushed her hips up to met exploring fingers, moving faster and faster because of the incredible feeling. She knew she was going to fall to pieces soon. She was going to be blown apart.

Her breathing increased to the point hurting her chest, but she could not bring herself to care. Her heart was pounding in her ears, as was the sound of her own blood rushing to her ears. When she exploded, all of those things went away. There was nothing but pleasure all around her and then there was nothing.

When the world came back into focus, Poe realized that she had fallen asleep. For a split second, she considered that Scarlet had left, but then she felt pressure against her side. _This feels really good. I forgot how nice this is_. She turned to see Scarlet smiling at her.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” the redhead remarked.

“You’re still here,” Poe said with a small smile of her own.

“Of course, you still have me for another hour.”

Poe was an expert on having single sentences destroy her whole world and that was definitely one of them. _None of this is real. I’m just a job for her. In an hour, she’ll leave and I’ll go back to being by myself._ The apartment would remain empty, her paintings would continue to fall apart, she would never be able to finish her book, and she would continue to have horrible luck with women.

“Let’s make the most of that hour,” Scarlet declared before attacking Poe with her mouth again.

-8-8-8-8-

By the time Scarlet left, she was confident that neighbors knew Poe got laid and also that Poe would call her back. She had made the girl pass out, after all. She made her way home, thinking of a nice, hot shower and a good night’s sleep, even though it was now morning.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Poe tries something else to get herself out of her mood while Mallory tries to play the hero.


	3. Going Home Again

3: Going Home Again

Poe sighed as she closed her laptop, having only written a paragraph in the last few days. She was going to need an extension if things continued on as they were. She could not even look at her canvas, all too aware that her painting was more forced that her writing. _What the hell is wrong with me? Why is everything so hard now?_  

Sighing, her almond-shaped brown eyes scanned around her apartment and all she saw was isolation and despair, fanning out and consuming everything in deep, depressing grey tones. Cold breezes ripped through her in the early summer heat, like phantoms gnawing at her fingertips and seeping into her body, replacing everything inside of her with nothingness. Sniffling, she reached for her phone, unaware and uncaring about the time as she called for a rescue.

“Hello, my little Leonardo,” her mother greeted her cheerfully. If she had not witnessed a few, Poe would swear that her mother never had a bad day in her life from the way that she answered her phone. Usually, the sound would warm her, but it would seem she needed more to fight off the brutal chill of her current melancholy.

“Hi, Mom,” Poe replied, her voice a shadow of its true self. She tried clearing her throat as discreetly as possible to avoid that tone again, but she doubted that it would work. 

“Oh, what’s wrong, Poe?” The sweet empathy and love of the question made the artist’s stomach flip.

Poe rubbed her forehead and twisted her face up because of her internal reaction to her mother’s question. “I’m feeling really out of sorts, Mom. I was thinking of getting on a bus …”

“Really?” Rayne practically squealed. “Oh, sweetie, if you wait a few hours Dad can come get you.”

Shaking her head, even though her mother could not see, Poe began pacing her cluttered floor. “No, that’s okay. It’s only a couple of hours by bus and …” She checked her phone for the time. “By the time I get there, you’ll all be out of school.”

“Okay, but we get to drive you back home.”

“Deal, Mom. See you in a few. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The call was disconnected and Poe grabbed her messenger bag. She stuffed her laptop and her sketchbook into it. All packed up, she grabbed a hoodie just in case the bus driver fell in love with the AC a little too much and she was out. Time to visit the family.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe walked the clean streets of her suburban hometown that seemed so distant from the city that she now lived in. Physically, the distance was not so great. Even culturally the suburb and city were not so different, but they had different vibes and seemed worlds apart. _Maybe I’m less familiar with the city … or something. I dunno_. She never could figure out why things seemed so different, but as Poe stood before a large, light blue and white, tudor-style house with neatly trimmed lawn and actual picket fence,she felt at home.

Peace settled into her entire being before she even set foot into the house. Now, those dark feelings from earlier seemed a million miles away, just like the city. _Maybe that’s it_. Of course, she could not figure out what she meant by that thought. Everything seemed like such a mystery, or maybe she was just confused and jumbled up, she considered.

“Hey, Poe, good to see you visiting with your family,” the next door neighbor commented from her position down by her flower garden.

Poe smiled. “Yeah, how you doing, Mrs. Millard?” she spoke a little loudly because the elderly woman was a bit hard of hearing. “You need any help?” She used to help the retiree often when she lived at home. Her mother had mostly pushed her to do it, which she was now glad for because she learned that she liked helping. It just took sometime for her to get used to people to offer help. 

The neighbor waved her off. “I’m fine, dear. You go inside. Get yourself situated because you know you won’t have time for it once your family sees you’re home.”

Poe smiled and did as directed. She had her house key, so she let herself in. The house was the same as always, clean and orderly, except for some debris from Calvin. His skates were at the foot of the stairs, which made her think he might have been aiming for the family room, which was to the right of the stairs.

Stepping over the skates, Poe charged up the stairs with enough noise to be scolded if her parents had been home. She burst through the first door at the top of the landing that faced the stairs. Her room looked the same way it had last time she was home, which meant it looked better than her apartment. The room appeared lived-in, or so her dad said whenever he compared it to her apartment.

Her bedroom was the largest room that she had ever had before she had gotten her apartment. She recalled not knowing what to do with all of the space, after she got over wondering when her parents would give the room to someone else or make her share it with a bunch of other people. Of course, she never had to share, but she continued to be baffled by what to do with so much space, both with her room and with her apartment.

Her parents had furnished the room, so she did not have to worry about that and she had lived in the room more than twice as long as she lived in her apartment. She thought that was a decent excuse as to why her room was “lived-in” and her apartment was Spartan, but her parents did not buy it. They thought it showed her belief that there was no such thing as a home and housing was temporary. Her apartment was set up for her to be able to leave within a moment’s notice while her room would take a while to pack away, which was one of the reasons why she never tried.

“This is home,” Poe reminded herself with a small smile.

She put her bag down on her hardwood floor and flopped down on her made bed. While the spread was her usual mountain scene cover, she had not made the bed the last time that she was there. Her mother made it because her mother seemed to think an unmade bed was a crime against humanity. Poe had yet to figure out why it was so important to make a bed because it would only get messed up when she slept in it again. But, there were a lot of things that she did not get that her mother tried to pound into her head and because her mother said it, that did make her think those things were important.

“Maybe I’ll get it one day,” she muttered while settling in and looking around her room.

Her paints were left out, next to stacks of sketches that she had in the corner. They were all cluttering her vanity, which was her makeshift desk because her actual desk was covered in story plots and outlines. The sight brought a soft smile to her face. She could still see herself in the room, working on her stuff, door open in case someone in her family wanted to come in.

“Poe!” she heard her father call as the front door opened.

“Dad!” A grin brightened Poe’s features. She shot up off of the bed and out of the room. Halfway down the stairs, she was practically tackled by her little brother. They laughed as Poe fell back slightly and they ended up sitting down on the steps.

“Poe! It’s great that you’re here! We can go skate!” Calvin suggested with a huge smile.

Poe smiled, too, because of his enthusiasm. She ran her hand through his sandy blond hair and nodded. He grinned at her, flashing big front teeth. His cobalt eyes sparkled as he pulled away from her, allowing her to get up. She turned her attention to their parents while Calvin charged upstairs to undoubtedly put his bag down.

“Hey, Mom and Dad,” Poe smiled at them as they embraced her to welcome her home.

With her family, Poe always thought she was obviously the oddball as far as appearance went. Her parents were both white and, while she was not the darkest person on Earth, she was the darkest person in the house. Then, there were her eyes and their almond shape, which made her appear Asian or Mexican. She had straight black hair while her mom had wavy dark brown hair and her dad had curly blond hair. She was the shortest between them, even though they were not very tall, both below average height. But, despite the differences, in this house, in these arms was the first time that Poe felt that she fit.

“Good to see you,” Rayne smiled and she ran her fingers through Poe’s hair in the exact same manner that Poe had just done to Calvin. She kissed Poe’s cheek.

“Glad you came to visit,” her father, Nolan Bryant, said, patting her on the shoulder. His dark blue eyes shined just the way Calvin’s head as he stared down at Poe.

“Sorry I haven’t been by in a couple of months. I’ve been trying to get some work done,” Poe explained.

“It’s all right. How’s the book coming along? I can’t wait to read it,” Nolan proclaimed with a proud grin.

Poe chuckled. “My biggest fan.” 

“You know that’s right!”

“Go spend some time with your brother. When you come back, I’ll have dinner ready and we can talk,” Rayne suggested because she knew that would help Poe unwind.

The artist nodded in agreement. She went upstairs to collect her brother and her skates. The pair charged out of the house like a herd of wild horses.

“You two make enough noise to walk the dead!” Rayne called after them. They only laughed as they escaped the house.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe and Calvin returned to the house as the sun was setting, leaving the sky ablaze with brilliant yellows and oranges. They were ordered upstairs to get clean as soon as they crossed the threshold. Nolan scooped up Calvin, who was only five (soon-to-be six he liked telling everyone that would listen), to take a bath. Poe used her parents’ bathroom to take her shower. She had plenty of clothes to change into in her room.

Once the children were clean, the family sat down to dinner. Rayne had prepared lasagna with salad and buttered bread. Poe was almost drooling at the sight of a home cooked meal.

“Poe, you look like you’re about to jump in the plate. You haven’t been eating well?” Rayne asked, her brown eyes wide with concern.

“I eat fine, Mom. I just don’t eat home cooked meals and stuff,” Poe insisted. She cooked every now and then, but never a meal. 

“You still eating those weird combinations of things?” Nolan inquired with a laugh. “I still don’t see how you ate those pickles with maple syrup. And the bananas and tomatoes. People at school thought we starved you.” He shook his head, probably remembering some of the things people assumed about her parents because of her.

Poe scowled, remembering those things, too. “I hated when people judged you after I came here. They don’t know what my life was like before you and you will always be the best things to ever happen to me.”

“And me, too!” Calvin added not to be left out.

“You bet, pal.” The artist reached over the small table to ruffle his hair. He giggled. “Speaking of school, how was work?” Both of her parents were teachers and they worked summer programs often.

Rayne’s eyes lit up. “My dancers are like angels. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t deserve to be their teacher because I can’t show them some of the things I ask them to do. I wish I could still dance like that, but I do love teaching.”

“You’re really good at teaching. Nadi always said so,” Poe replied. Her mother used to be a dancer, but a back injury ended her dancing career. She did not talk much about it and Poe did not press her because her mother’s usually warm eyes always glazed over with sorrow when she spoke on her career-ending trauma.

“How is Nadi? She only calls to tell on you now. You’re stressing her out,” Rayne teased.

“You just say that because she’s your favorite,” the artist countered with a smile.

“Glad you can say that with a smile now,” Nolan commented, reaching over to push his daughter a little to taunt her.

Poe remembered the first time that she had heard her father tell her mother that Nadi was her favorite. She had not realized he was teasing and had not known what to do with that information. So many emotions had torn through her, swirling like a tornado inside of her, tearing at everything in her. Her solution to her emotional turmoil had been to attack Nadi in her mother’s class and then she had broken down, sobbing when her mother pulled her off of the star dancer.

Oddly enough, that was the start of their friendship. Nadi had not held a grudge, despite her reputation of being a bitch around school. Instead of being bitter, Nadi tried to understand why Poe did what she did. Of course, she knew that Nadi was using her to try to get closer to her mother at first, but that quickly changed. Rayne had encouraged their friendship, too, and basically made them friends before they realized it.

“So, pal, you ready for first grade soon?” Poe asked her brother.

“Yeah! I’m getting big. Mom’s gonna take me to pick out a new book bag and sneakers and everything because I’m a big boy now!” Calvin replied proudly.

The artist smiled. “I used to love shopping for new stuff, too.” That got scoffs from both of her parents.

“Only art supplies. We used to have to drag you out to get clothes. Then all you wanted was soccer gear. I thought you’d run away to a soccer field,” Nolan joked, laughing a bit. 

“She did. Remember that time with her first report card?” Rayne pointed out.

Poe slumped in her chair and groaned. “I didn’t know school was so hard and I thought you’d be disappointed in me because you tried so hard to get me into your school and it’s all special and smart and artsy and everything. I failed everything and I thought you’d return me.”

Nolan groaned, too, shaking his head. “I try so hard to forget this ever happened. Don’t remind me of this whole thing, please.” He turned to look at his wife. “I almost went out of my mind, looking for her in the rain. Ray, you made me think if I didn’t bring back our little girl, I better not come back home.” Rayne did not respond, but the look in her eye said that Nolan was right.

“I didn’t make things easier,” Poe admitted in a low tone.

“You had a right to be scared, kiddo. We understood that. I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me what was wrong and you came back,” Nolan said with a smile. “Now, let’s not talk about it anymore and I can go back to suppressing that memory.”

They laughed and enjoyed a nice family dinner. Once the meal was over, they went to the living room to watch a movie. Nolan and Rayne also flipped through Poe’s sketchbook. Occasionally, almost absently, Rayne petted Poe’s head as she and Calvin were sitting on the floor while their parents were on the sofa. Nolan even read what little work Poe did on her novel.

Poe wondered why she had left such a wonderful atmosphere and moved to the city. She loved her home and her family and would love to be around them all the time. She did not care how old she would have been living at home as long as her parents allowed it and she knew that they would never put her out. Hell, they had begged her to stay when she decided to move out.

But, the art world called and her best friends had gone to the city to make their way. She figured that she should do the same. Honestly, her art career was faring well in the move, but money and rising artistic fame was nothing compared to the love and warmth of her family. But, her parents always seemed so proud of her work that she stayed where she was because she did not want to disappoint them by moving back home. Besides, they also wanted her to be more comfortable out in the world on her own, so she knew that she had to keep trying.

At nine, the movie was over and Rayne went to put Calvin to bed, complete with a story. Nolan decided to talk to Poe about her novel. She sat next to him on the sofa.

“Writing not going well?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No writing or painting. I can still sketch and outline, but nothing detailed. I feel clogged up and nothing’s coming out. What should I do? I’ve never had this happen with both things I love. I can usually do one if the other is blocked.”

“You probably just need to take a break. Don’t force it or you’ll feel worse when it doesn’t come. Have tried listening to music while working? While my writing isn’t on your level, sometimes music helps me when I’m trying to come up with poems and short stories.”

She nodded. “I’ll try. What type of music do you listen to?”

“Just stuff I like. Have you found a music genre you like yet?” She shook her head and her father gave her a sympathetic smile. She had never really listened to music until she came to live with him and Rayne and she was still trying to feel her way through much of it.  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll be okay, doodle.”

“Aw! Dad, don’t call me that!” she laughed and pushed him a bit.

His mouth dropped open. “What? Your Mom still pets you like you’re five! I should get to call you doodle,” he argued with a laugh.

She pouted and shook her head to refuse him. He poked her in the ribs with his index finger, making a pest of himself. She giggled and dropped on the floor to escape him. He smiled down at her.

“You’re such a pain. I’m telling Mom,” she threatened him.

“You just suck the fun out of everything,” her father pouted.

Poe chuckled and playfully hit her father. When her mother returned, they played a few games of cards before everyone went to bed. In the morning, Poe stayed on to play with her brother and later that night the whole family took the ride to the city to return Poe to her apartment.

“My goodness, Poe, what are you doing in here?” Rayne asked as soon as she stepped through the door. She immediately started to clean.

“Wow, I thought it’d take her at least five seconds before she started cleaning,” Nolan commented with a chuckle.

“Mom, no, you don’t have to clean!” Poe objected, following her mother around as Rayne picked up discarded clothes and paintbrushes.

“And you still don’t have any furniture beyond the couch we bought you!” Rayne was absolutely scandalized. “You can’t bring a girlfriend here!”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Poe argued.

“And you won’t with this pigsty! Come on, Poe, you’re way better than this,” Rayne said. “I don’t even want to look in your fridge! You have got to stop living like this, sweetheart.”

The artist could not argue that. She also could not stop her mother from cleaning, so she did not even bother to try after a few minutes. Her family stuck around until Calvin nodded off on the couch. Goodbyes, hugs, and “I love yous” were exchanged and then Poe was alone again. She curled on the sofa, still warm from Calvin’s little body, and opened her laptop. Before she knew it, she was adding to her novel.

-8-8-8-8-

A couple of days later, the creative energy waned. _At least I finished a chapter. Painting is still a no-go_. Poe tried music as her father suggested, but it only seemed to echo hauntingly off of the bare walls. She wondered if it would work better if she actually liked a certain type of music instead of playing a bunch of random songs. She was sure it would still only sound like eerie wailing to her ears and the rest of her body. Her fingers refused to go with the flow,  so her painting was thick and clumsy. Her writing was forced and stale.

“Can’t go back home again or I might as well just move back in. Maybe Nadi and Justin want to go out,” she considered with a smile.

Searching for her phone, she found it in her pants from yesterday. She called both friends, but the calls went straight to voicemail. She checked the time because that was strange. Nadi worried about her too much to not answer a call from her.

“Oh, she’s in practice right now,” Poe realized when she saw that it was the early afternoon. No one was allowed to have their cell phones on at practice, which made Poe wonder what they did if someone had an emergency, but she never found out. “She’ll be in practice until, like, six. Justin must be painting while he has the peace and quiet to do so.”

She thought it was funny that Justin could only paint in peace and quiet, the same stuff that seemed to be slowly killing her. Shaking her head, she ripped herself from her couch, where she had been attempting to write. Getting dressed, she figured that soccer might help her feel better. Soccer always brought her to a sense of calm and relaxation.

She trotted the few blocks to Goodies. There were only a couple of patrons in the bar, which made sense because it was just after lunchtime on a Thursday. She spotted Leander as she took her usual seat in the corner and tucked herself into the booth. The bar owner approached her to take her order.

“How are you doing, my dear? It’s been a while,” Leander said with a warm smile.

She forced out a smile. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to get some work done.”

“Not going so well?” he asked with concerned eyes.

She shrugged a bit. “You can tell?”

He offered her a sad nod. “Your face is so long. I’ll bring you a hamburger and a milkshake. Maybe even sit with you for a while.”

The young woman smiled and nodded. Leander turned on a soccer game on the television that was closest to Poe before going off to get her order. When he returned, he sat for a while and discussed the finer points of soccer with her. She enjoyed the juicy hamburger and thick, chocolate milkshake along with his company. Eventually, he got up to tend to other patrons and she watched more soccer. She was content until she was interrupted.

“What the fuck is this shit? Yo, Goodie, man, put the baseball game on,” a customer demanded, motioning to the television that Poe was watching.

“I’m watching this,” Poe declared, moving forward.

The man was at least a foot taller than she was and he glared down at her with hard eyes. “Not anymore you’re not. Why don’t you go find some park to play in, kid?”

“Fuck you. I was here first!” Poe countered. She refused to ever let someone push her around if it could be helped. _I’m never going to take someone’s shit ever again_.

“Well, we’re here now! And we want to see baseball!” another man proclaimed.

“So, the fuck what?” the writer huffed.

-8-8-8-8-

Scarlet dragged her feet into Goodies. She ignored the whistling that followed, but the first guy to touch her would get decked. _On the other hand, the first guy that buys me a drink might get kissed at the least_. She saddled up to the bar and offered Lysander a tired smile.

“You look like something the cat coughed up,” Lysander commented with a laugh as he put her usual in front of her.

“I’ve been up for the better part of two days and it’s been a shitty two days. Just keep ‘em coming,” Scarlet requested as the noise from the other end of the establishment caught her attention. “What the fuck is that noise?” she grumbled. “God, the best part about this place was it being civilized. What the fuck are those cavemen barking about?”

Lysander shrugged and looked around to see what the problem was about. Scarlet did the same and noticed a group of men hollering at a familiar short and stocky form. Scarlet laughed and shook her head.

“This kid’s got balls,” Scarlet said and then she spotted Leander standing not too far the commotion. “Hey, old man, aren’t you going to help her?”

Leander glared at her, as if _she_ had nerve for daring to suggest that he get off of his ass and do something. “They’re paying customers and they haven’t touched her yet,” _he_ had the gall to utter.

“You had a titty attack when I tried to buy the kid a fucking drink, but you don’t do shit when five brawny dudes are in her face? She’s a goddamn paying customer, too,” Scarlet huffed.

“She’s usually not here when we’re this busy. Yes, she’s a paying customer, but they’re regulars. They can be a little charged, but they won’t hurt her,” Leander stated.

Scarlet frowned and growled when she saw one of the men shove Poe. While she know from experience that Poe could hold her own, she doubted all of the muscles and martial arts would save the kid from a group of drunken idiots that were twice her size. Tearing herself away from a drink that she had been dying for, she could hear that they were screaming about baseball and, apparently, Poe wanted to watch soccer.

Not too sure what she was going to do, Scarlet watched Poe briefly. The flex of large biceps reminded her of the night she spent pleasing the younger woman, who had not been polite enough to call back for her services. She wondered if she had done something or failed to do something that night over a month ago. There was a way to find out, but she had to make sure the girl did not die for a soccer match.

“Hey, there you are, kid,” Scarlet said, giving Poe a chance to turn around before she took Poe’s hand.

“What are you doing?” Poe asked while all of the men stood silent, eyeing the redhead.

“I know, I’m late, but now we can go and you watch the match at my house,” Scarlet said with a smile.

“Don’t touch me,” Poe grunted as she yanked her hand away. Her brow then wrinkled as she processed the offer. “Your house?” The younger woman looked offended by the suggestion.

“Yeah, there’s a twenty-four hour soccer channel,” Scarlet replied, gently corralling the painter away from the scene by putting her arm around Poe’s shoulders without touching her.

Poe’s eyes went wide at the mention of all day soccer. She followed Scarlet like a lost puppy and the redhead was covered in steaks. The men watched and Scarlet could not resist turning to give them a wink as she escorted Poe out of the building. She wanted to tell them to enjoy their baseball, but feared saying anything would break Poe out of her soccer-fueled trance. They took a five-minute cab ride to Scarlet’s apartment complex. The ride was silent, as Scarlet expected. Poe was an extremely quiet individual.

The redhead waved to the doorman while she noted Poe scoping out the building. The complex was nice, much better than Poe’s building. They rode the elevator up to the top floor. Scarlet went to the end of the hall and opened the door to her place.

“Living room’s right there. I’m beat, so I’m going to bed,” Scarlet declared, pointing to the sunken space that housed an L-shaped black leather sofa and fully loaded entertainment system, complete with a huge sixty inch television.

“You’re going to leave me here? Just leave a stranger in your personal space?” Poe asked incredulously. Her face scrunched up adorably when she was bewildered.

Scarlet chuckled. “You’re not a stranger. I know you quite intimately. Besides, you took me on a walk through the park and bought me a gyro.” For some odd reason, that sorry excuse for a date warmed her as she thought about it. _Usually only rum will do that_. Beyond that, her instincts gave her no warnings about Poe, so she believed it should be fine and she still had some business with the shorter woman.

Poe did not respond beyond a shrug. Scarlet accepted that and went to her bedroom. She slid the pocket door closed and shut out the world. A relieved sigh escaped the room before the door was fully shut.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe sat down on the couch and stared around the room before she set about the task of finding her soccer match. The living room was decorated in black and several shades of red. There were some candid photos of people on a few shelves that flanked the entertainment center. A coffee table in front of her had a neat stack of different magazines that she did not go through. There were bookshelves on the wall perpendicular to the television and they were thick with literature, but Poe did not inspect them.

Grabbing the remote, Poe turned on the television and immediately muted it to avoid waking her host. _I actually went home with a stranger. But, I guess Scarlet is right. It’s not like we’ve never seen each other before and went spent a day together. A day that was pretty cool, even though she was working. I gotta remember to apologize for being an ass twice now_.

Shaking the thoughts away, Poe scanned the television for the supposed all day soccer channel. She almost swallowed her tongue when she saw that it did exist. She dropped the remote to the sofa; she would not need it anymore.

The picture on the television was crystal clear and it was almost like the game was right in the room with her. She had never seen anything like it. She wondered what the sound would be like on such an amazing TV, but she dared not find out. Just being able to watch such a magnificent television was more than enough for her.

“How freaking lucky, am I?” she wondered aloud.

She was not sure how much time passed, but she vaguely heard the bedroom door open and close. Another door opened and closed, but Poe was not sure where and turned her focus back to the soccer match. She did not look away as Scarlet eased down onto the far end of the couch, curling her legs underneath her.

“Still watching soccer, huh?” Scarlet commented, as if shocked and impressed. 

Poe shrugged, since the answer was obvious and then she realized that she was being rude to Scarlet once again. Sighing, she shook her head and turned her body to fully face Scarlet.

“I’m sorry for being an ass. Thanks for letting me watch soccer. I can leave if you want,” Poe offered.

Scarlet seemed to think on it. “Apology accepted. Stay as long as you like. I don’t really watch TV unless I’m throwing a party. I usually just read and I can do that with a marching band coming through here if necessary.”

“You have a lot of books.” Internally, Poe groaned. _Stupid! She knows she has a lot of books. God, you suck at this small talk thing!_

Scarlet gave her a small smile, which helped set her at ease a bit. “Yeah, I like reading. I’m going to order some food. You want some?”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Poe nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Oh, so you do have manners,” Scarlet teased, causing her cerulean eyes to shine like sparkling water. “What type of food do you want? The only place still open this late that will deliver is a Chinese restaurant. They have really good food.”

“Anything works for me. Thanks.” Poe’s attention went right back to soccer.

Scarlet rose off of the sofa and disappeared back into her room. She returned a couple of minutes later. “The food should be here in a half-hour. Until then, can I get you something to drink?”

“Any type of soda is fine.”

Scarlet chuckled. “I was thinking of something a little more substantial.”

“I’m not old enough, remember?”

“Right, and you seem all for following the rules,” Scarlet commented sarcastically, almost snidely.

Poe did not say anything, holding off on being rude to her host. Scarlet returned to the living room with the drink, which she handed to Poe. The artist took a sip and frowned.

“This has stuff in it. You spiked it,” the younger woman complained.

“It’s just a little. I didn’t think you’d mind a nip,” Scarlet pointed out.

“Well, I do mind. I’m not old enough and I don’t like it,” Poe said. She had seen what alcohol could do to a lot of people and she never wanted to get that way. 

“All right, all right. I’ll get you some regular soda.”

Scarlet took back the drink and replaced it with a plain Coke. She then sat on the couch, watching Poe. Poe watched Soccer.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory was as enthralled with Poe as the artist was with soccer. She noted the sport seemed to be the only thing that truly held Poe’s attention, even though the kid was aware of her surroundings. She just was more interested in soccer than the rest of her environment, which could have hurt Mallory’s self-esteem if only she did not have a massive ego.

She was curled upon the sofa, wearing nothing more than a sheer black teddy that reached mid-thigh. It was extremely low cut and revealed most of her breasts and any sudden move would cause them to fall out. Poe had barely cast her a glance and definitely did not ogle her. The lack of attention made Mallory curious about her guest. Briefly, she assumed that Poe might not be attracted to women and their night together was just some weird experiment for the younger woman, but that theory did not last long because straight women looked at her, too.

 _This kid is an odd duck, but she’s adorable because of that. A puzzle I want to figure out_. Mallory was drawn from her thoughts as she was alerted that their food was on the way up. She answered the door without bothering to put on a robe and took the food from a delivery guy who was quite familiar with her. He smiled as she handed him money. She resisted the urge to slam the door in his face.

“Food’s here,” Mallory announced.

“Uh … do you eat at your table or the counter at the kitchen?” Poe asked, showing that she had at least noticed some of the apartment beyond the giant TV. There was a small dining room table tucked into the corner of the area opposite the kitchen.

“The living room is fine,” Mallory replied and she saw Poe’s brow furrow from that. “Something wrong with eating in the living room?”

Poe shook her head. “Nothing. I just figured since you had a dining room, you’d use it to eat. It’s nothing.”  

Mallory took her word on that and put the food on plates. She offered Poe both chopsticks and a fork. Poe thanked her using the name Scarlet.

“Just for the record, my name is Mallory,” the redhead corrected her.

“Huh?”

“My name is Mallory. I’m only Scarlet out on the street and on the clock. In here, I’m Mallory.”

Poe nodded. “Oh, okay … Mallory.”

The redhead smiled. They ate in silence and she was not surprised that Poe practically inhaled her meal. She imagined that Poe needed a lot of fuel for her powerful, thick body, and Poe proved that every time there was food around so far. When they were both finished, it was pretty clear that Poe would sit there all night, watching soccer until Mallory kicked her out. Mallory was not in favor of that.  

There was no way that Mallory would sit there all night watching a sport she did not care for with a very sexy woman within arm’s reach. Flashes of Poe’s muscular body went through her mind. She could actually remember the sounds that Poe made on that night and it made her shiver.

“Poe, why haven’t you called for me again?” Mallory asked curiously. She was sure that she had rocked Poe’s little world.

The artist shrugged. “I can’t afford it,” was the simple response.

Mallory nodded. That was a valid reason, but she sensed there was more. It probably had to do with Poe being a good girl. She smiled. _I want to put a little bad in this girl now_. She crawled over to Poe like a stalking tiger and attacked with her lips as soon as Poe turned.

Poe squirmed and wiggled underneath her. Mallory realized that Poe was trying to escape. She pulled away just as Poe got a grip on her shoulders to push her away.

“I didn’t come here for this and I just told you I can’t afford you,” Poe pointed out.

“You are so cute. Are you so offended by having an orgasm?” Mallory joked.

“It’s not that. I’m just not here for this.”

“I know and you can’t afford me. Those aren’t good excuses, Poe. You’re a guest in my house, not a client that hired me. I’m bored with soccer and I really want to take your fine ass to bed. Now, do you want that or do you want more soccer?” Mallory placed wet kisses to Poe’s neck and collarbones.

Poe whimpered and her breathing sped up. “You don’t have to …”

“Oh, but I want to. I want to feel your hard body against mine. I want to make you scream to the ceiling. I want to do nasty things to you,” Mallory whispered, nipping at Poe’s sweet earlobe. The shudder that went through Poe moved over to the redhead. The shiver surprised her and it made her want Poe more.

“Ma-Ma-Mallory …” Poe’s breathing increased.

“Play with me, Poe. Be my playmate. Play with me.” Mallory moved, so that Poe was completely underneath her and she massaged Poe’s small breasts.

Poe whimpered and wiggled, now trying to move into the touch. Mallory kissed and nipped Poe’s smooth chin. _God, her skin is so soft. I just want to devour her_.

Mallory felt Poe begin to nod and she saw Poe was agreeing. A smile spread across her face and she felt Poe relax underneath her. Easing up, she offered Poe her hand. The artist took it and they disappeared into Mallory’s bedroom.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Poe and Mallory bump into each other and get to know each other better.


	4. Muse

4: Muse

Poe panted as she wiped strands of her hair away, including her lilac strand. It was sticking to her forehead and continued to do so, even as she pushed it back. Her body glistened with sweat, which made her muscles seem more pronounced. There was a sweet shine to it that made Mallory want to lick her whole body … again. But, the look in those sweet cocoa eyes, pleading exhaustion stopped her from doing so. Poe was worn out and she was the same. After all, she was operating on only five hours of sleep. 

“How you feeling, Poe?” Mallory asked with a teasing smile. Poe could only moan. The redhead smiled proudly now. “That good, huh?” She chuckled and settled down on her pillow, next to Poe.

The artist managed something close to a nod. “Uh-huh.”

“You gonna sleep here?” Mallory hoped that was not the plan. She did not share her bed for anything beyond sex and even that was rare.

Poe managed to shake her head. “I need to get home …” She yawned.

Mallory almost smiled, but kept it in because she knew that would be bad. She did not want to make it seem like she was eager for Poe’s departure because, truly, she was not. She just did not want someone sleeping next to her.

“I’ll call you a cab,” the pale woman offered.

Poe shook her head. “Don’t bother. I’ll walk.”

“What? You can’t walk. It’s three in the morning. Let me call you a cab,” Mallory insisted, sitting up to look her guest in the face. While she did not want Poe to sleep in her bed, she did want the younger woman to make it home all right.

Poe sighed because Mallory reminded her of Nadi for a moment from her persistence. “Okay. I don’t get why you’re being so nice to me.”

Mallory was somewhat at a loss herself. Saving Poe from those guys in Goodies was a no-brainer. While she could be annoying, she was not enough of a bitch to let a kid get beaten up by a group of drunkards. The soccer offer came from feeling sorry that all Poe wanted to do was watch TV and she knew that the artist did not own one. _Maybe this was pity sex. I feel sorry for her for sure. So, that’s probably it_.

“It doesn’t matter. Maybe it’s because you’re so cute,” Mallory remarked. _Okay, that’s part of it, too. Not to mention, her body makes me shiver_. She liked muscles and Poe definitely had those.

Poe laughed and managed to roll out of the king-sized bed. She gathered her clothes with some noted difficulty. Mallory smiled proudly again as she called for Poe’s cab.

“You know, I’m glad we did this. You’re fun once you let loose. I was scared for a moment that I was your first,” Mallory admitted.

“No way! I’ve been with women before!” Poe huffed, scowling at the perceived insult.

The older woman chuckled. “Oh, trust me, I know that now.” A few of the things that Poe had done screamed experience. “It’s just the way you were acting before made me think you might be a virgin. Glad I was wrong.”

Poe snorted, but did not reply. She started getting dressed and Mallory enjoyed the show. The way that Poe’s rippled muscles moved was enough to make Mallory’s mouth water. While blatantly staring at Poe wiggle into the sleeveless t-shirt that she had been wearing under her shirt, Mallory silently admitted that she was physically attracted to Poe. _With those muscles, how could I not be?_

It did not help matters that she also liked thick physiques. Poe was solid and perfect as far as Mallory was concerned. It was rare for her to meet a woman with what she considered the perfect body type. There had been others, but not many. Thinking about that made her lick her lips and she was very tempted to yank Poe back into bed, but she knew that she would not be able to do many of the things that she wanted now.

“Well, I’ll be going now. Thanks for everything,” Poe said, walking to the door.

“Wow, I don’t even rate a goodbye kiss? Was I that bad or are you that rude?” Mallory remarked with a teasing smile.

Poe yelped and her delightful chocolate eyes went very wide. Mallory had to hold in a laugh as the younger woman rushed over to her. Poe leaned down and seemed to be aiming for Mallory’s cheek. When that was indeed where the kiss landed, Mallory made it a point to scowl and she shook her index finger at Poe. Poe’s forehead wrinkled cutely and Mallory pointed to her lips to help Poe figure out where she should be kissing.

While the kiss on the lips was just as chaste as the one on the cheek, it satisfied Mallory. She smiled at Poe when the artist pulled away. In return, Poe gave her a small smile.

“See you around maybe?” Poe said and there was some hope in her voice.

“I’m at Goodies a lot.” _What the hell? I mean, not like I won’t like having her in my bed again or being in her bed again_.

“Me, too. So, maybe.”

Mallory nodded and watched as Poe left. The redhead sighed andfell back on her pillow. A smile worked its way onto her face as she ran her hand through her wild, crimson locks.

“I think I needed that,” she muttered because she felt good in every way that she could think of for the first time in a long time, she realized. She then she shook that thought away. “What I need is a shower and more sleep. I can’t fall asleep on my next date.”

Of course, she did not have another date for two days. She could sleep and catch up on her reading. _Maybe I can even get in a little writing. I haven’t written any poetry in months_. She snorted at the realization. _I’ve been spending too much of my free time drinking_.

After taking a long, hot shower, Mallory fell into bed naked. She was asleep within seconds. Strangely, when she awoke in the afternoon, she was clutching the pillow that Poe had rested her head on in between passionate sessions. She inhaled the scent to find it still smelled like Poe. She quickly flung the pillow away.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” Mallory mumbled, scratching her head.

She got up and went about her day, eating a light breakfast and then going to the gym. After several hours of working out and some light socializing with her friends, who all had nine-to-five jobs to get back to, so Mallory went home for a shower and a late lunch. Then she curled up with a book on her sofa and even managed to write a poem in one of her journals like she wanted to. The fact that she was able to pen even a short verse was brilliant to her and she beamed at being able to do so after so long.

Occasionally, she glanced at the spot Poe occupied last night. She tried to shake it off and go back to her book or write more in her journal, but she could not help herself. Every now and then, she could see a phantom of Poe focused on a soccer match that was not playing.

“She is cute,” Mallory said with a small smile and then shook her head, ridding herself of the expression. “Why is my mind focused on that kid? I mean, yes, I’m attracted to her, but so what? She’s not the first girl I’ve been attracted to and I just want her body because that is a damn sexy body. And, now, I’m talking to myself.”

She grunted and frowned before turned her attention back to her book to continue reading. She ordered dinner and went to bed at a decent hour, only to repeat her actions the following day. She stayed at the gym longer since she woke up earlier, but other than that it was the same. Some of her friends teased her about not having to go to work, but little did they know that she was getting bored. She would love for them to have a spare moment to go out, but that would not happen until the weekend and she was booked for the weekend.

As the night drew on, Mallory found herself restless. She reread the same sentence at least five times and tapped her fingers against the couch cushion. The silence seemed to creep up on her, clawing at her. It felt like it was seeping into her, trying to hack its way inside of her. Her eyes darted around the apartment, as if looking for an escape route. She tore herself from the couch and fled the apartment before the silence drove her mad.

She went to a few clubs, did some dancing, and some drinking. She entertained several men and women, but nothing beyond dancing and talking with them as much as the noisy clubs allowed. Eventually, she found herself in Goodies near closing time. It was empty and all if the televisions were off. Lysander was cleaning the bar and smiled when he saw her.

“Hey there, pretty lady. What brings you by so late and in such casual clothing?” he asked in a teasing tone. While she was dressed provocatively in a short, tight black dress, it was nothing like the clothing he was used to seeing her wear.

“I was just out at a nearby club and thought I’d pop in for a quick hello,” she lied.

He smiled and nodded. “We should go out clubbing one day.”

She laughed, throwing her head back a little to just exaggerate it. “So your father can kill me and serve my body to customers to get rid of the evidence? Where is he, anyway?” Blue eyes scanned the bar just in case she missed him the first time she looked around.

“In the back. Don’t worry about him. He’s all bark and no bite,” he replied with a chuckle, waving his father’s attitude off.

She smiled. “Well, then, maybe one day we can hit the clubs.” He was a great guy, after all. She could not mind spending time with him without him having to pour her a drink to keep up their conversation. “You don’t mind me waiting in here until my cab comes, right?”

He shook his head and gave her a look that let her know that was a stupid question. “No problem. I’d never throw a lady out in the middle of the night.”

“Your father would say I’m no lady.”

He shook his head and shrugged. “I’m not my father. I’m a little more open minded,” he said with a wink.

She smiled again and bid him farewell as her cab pulled up. She returned home with a feeling of disappointment gnawing at her gut. She tried to ignore it. She made herself a drink and prepared for bed.

-8-8-8-8-

“Poe! How dare you call us and then not return our calls when we call back!” Nadi screamed as she stormed into Poe’s apartment like a powerful hurricane. Justin was right behind her, with much less flare and anger.

Poe turned away from her perch in front of her painting to see Nadi glaring at her, as if she had committed the worst of sins. “Nadi, I gave you a key for emergencies, not for you to just let yourself in whenever you want to,” she pointed out with a slight frown.

“You didn’t answer our calls! What the fuck registers as an emergency in your book, short of a goddamn alien invasion?” Nadi hollered, exploding over to her and making wild, flailing hand gestures. Justin was right behind her, but was more focused on Poe’s work than anything else.

Poe scratched her head and shrugged to concede just a little bit. “Sorry about that. I got wrapped up in soccer and then in my painting. I haven’t looked at my phone since I called you guys actually.”

Nadi growled and threw her hands up. “I swear you are the most insufferable, frustrating person I have ever met!” Her face turned a bright red. If smoke came out of her ears, no one would have been surprised.

“Sorry?” Poe shrugged, not sure what else to say.

“Sorry doesn’t make it better!” Nadi was so keyed up that there was a vein popping out of her forehead as well as her neck. Poe thought that her dear friend might faint if she worked herself up anymore, especially since her face seemed to only be getting redder. 

Poe sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I’m really sorry, Nadi. I didn’t mean you to worry. I really just forgot about my phone and that I called you both. I got so wrapped in soccer and then when I got home, I got a creative burst. I’ve been working on this all day!” She motioned to her newest piece. Before working on her painting, she had gotten some writing done, so it was a win all around for her.

“It’s nice,” Justin chimed in. “You’ve got your stroke back and this is a surprising use of color. Lots of red and light blues.” He moved closer to the canvas, tilting his head to the side as he inspected the piece.

Poe nodded and beamed from his praising tone. “Makes it pop, right? Like it’s going to come to life and sit with you?”

“Yeah, actually. It’s really soothing.”

“Excuse me, this isn’t art class! I’m not done yelling at you yet!” Nadi declared, going so far as to stomp her foot.

Poe sighed, but turned back to Nadi, who laid into the artist for five minutes at an incredible volume. By the end of the loud lecture, Poe would have promised Nadi her first-born child to get her to stop. But, thankfully, Nadi was done without any input from the tan-skinned female and Poe could go back to discussing her painting. She did hope her neighbors had not heard all of the yelling or she was sure the police would be at the door soon enough to make sure no one was murdered in the loft.

“This is beautiful. Your muse must be working overtime to come up with this,” Justin commented.

Poe shrugged. “I’m glad my damned muse is working at all. It’s been on vacation for well over a month. I couldn’t paint or write.”

He gave her a sympathetic look while folding his arms across his stomach. “That sucks. But, at least it came back with a vengeance. This is really a piece above the rest. Keep doing this and all your work will sell at the expo in a few months.”

“That’s good because I need the money,” Poe smiled.

“For what? You don’t buy anything and the only bill you have is for rent,” Nadi pointed out with a scoff.

Poe only shrugged. She knew that everything she said to Nadi would be met with hostility until the dancer calmed down, which could possibly take days depending on how much she freaked out when Poe had not returned her calls. So, Nadi fumed while Poe and Justin ignored her with practiced ease. She was not looking for attention, but had to let out her frustration. Poe just hoped that her friend did not start compulsive cleaning to calm herself down; she had only just found many of the things she needed from when her mother cleaned up.

“So, what brought on this wonderful bout of inspiration? I’m so surprised that you painted something with a live person in it, even if it is just the back of a head. I hope this isn’t going to be your new thing. I really like your forest and wilderness scenes. Although, that series you did of the apocalypse was fascinating. I’m still surprised you sold those paintings, especially The New Plague and The Old Plague.”

Poe scratched her head. “I’m not the only person on Earth that sometimes feels like humanity is a plague. I do agree with you about The New Plague, though. I didn’t think anybody would be morbid enough to buy a painting full of dead bodies and cannibalism.”

Justin shrugged. “You were morbid enough to paint it.”

Poe could not argue that and shrugged. She had been going through some things, which included night terrors of her past, when she had painted her apocalypse series and it all came to a head with the final piece called “The New Plague.” Not only was it full of dead bodies, some were old corpses and others were fresh, showing disgusting, oozing sores and worst of all, showing the couple of survivors devouring the festering corpses. Somehow, those paintings had helped stop the nightmares. Painting soothed her inner demons, no matter what she painted, which was why not being able to paint always sent her into a spiraling depression. She needed to get out what was inside of her, be it dark or light as her latest painting was proving.

Usually, she painted with dark colors, even if she was not painting something that others would view as grisly. Her current painting had colors that she never even considered. There was something airy inside of her that wanted out, something that lived in yellows, bright reds, pastel blues and greens. She felt happy putting it out and noted that it did not feel like it was escaping her like other emotions when she painted.

“I might paint another like this,” she told Justin.

“I think people would a few of these from you. I think you’re doing a good job, even if it’s not your usual fair,” he replied. “I do think you should stick to your long strokes, though. There’s nothing wrong with the short ones, but your long ones seem so much bolder,” he stated and they both focused on the painting. She studied it for a moment and considered that he might have a point. _But, if the painting calls for short strokes, I’ll still do it_.

Her friends stuck around until they were hungry. Nadi had offered to cook, but as she checked Poe’s cabinets, she found that would be an impossibility. Poe only had small amounts of food and nothing that could be made into a proper meal.

“Remind me to take you grocery shopping,” Nadi sighed, shaking her head as she slammed the last cabinet closed.

“I have stuff.” Poe pointed to the fridge. There were plenty of things to eat in the refrigerator. _Okay, maybe not plenty, but there’s stuff_.

Nadi offered her best friend a glare for daring to utter that. “None of that stuff goes together and it’s not a lot. You have a few random items and it’s enough for one person to nibble on before it’s all gone. You could at least have bread.”

Poe’s eyes went wide, offended by that. “I have bread! … I think.”

Nadi’s expression did not waver. “No, you don’t.”

“How about you come eat with us?” Justin proposed with a smile.

Poe shook her head to decline. “I want to keep painting and my food is fine for me. You two have fun. Thanks for coming to check on me.”

“Just answer your phone from now on. God, that’s not too much to ask for,” Nadi sighed, throwing her hands up.

The writer at least had the decency to appear sheepish and offered Nadi a hug for her troubles. The dancer accepted, but gave Poe a tug on the ear as a reprimand. The shorter female hissed as Nadi pulled away, but she did not complain about the abuse. It was just Nadi’s way of letting Poe know how much she was worried and Poe was sorry for putting Nadi through that.

Poe moved right along and hugged Justin farewell. The couple left the apartment a wave from Justine and a final glare from Nadi. Poe went right back to work. Her muse had returned full force, with new inspiration as well. Her hand seemed to glide across her canvas as she used new and exciting colors. Each stroke filled her body with some delightful form of energy and she hoped that it would never wane.

“I would love to be able to produce like this forever,” she muttered with a smile, but she knew that was not possible. Still, she did not let it stop her. 

After a while, she halted for food and saw what Nadi was talking about. She did not have any bread, but that did not matter to her. She had peanut butter and she had marshmallows. That was more than enough for her. She sat down to do some writing while eating fluffy marshmallows covered in creamy peanut butter.

Her writing was different from her painting, even though she believed they flowed together. She felt like they had different muses, but muses that were closely linked. Her demons went out in her paintings, but her ideas went into her writing. She had wild flights of fancy that she enjoyed putting into stories and found that she could weave a tale probably better than she could craft a painting. Even though her writing was different, it was just as much of a necessity for her to get out or she thought that the things she imagined would invade her dreams, mix with her demons, and drive her insane. 

She smiled as she typed and then stopped to have another peanut buttered covered marshmallow. “Let’s see how Maru is going to get out of the mess she’s put herself in now,” she said, almost merrily. 

-8-8-8-8-

Poe was not sure how much time passed, but eventually her burst of creativity began to wane, as she knew it would. It was not like before where she ended up lost and felt like despair was circling her like hungry buzzards. Just gradually, she could paint or write for less and less time in the day, like her mind required other stimulus. She needed a break and a soccer game or two would be nice. Briefly, she thought about the game on a huge, clear TV with a beautiful redhead sitting on a lush sofa away from her and smiled.

“Maybe Mallory is at Goodies,” Poe considered as she went to get dressed. She found herself putting a bit more care into what she put on than she normally would, but did not think much on it since she was still wearing her usual clothes. She even dared to brush her hair a bit before venturing out.

She went out to the Goode Bar, finding it a bit packed. She knew that she would not be able to watch soccer there. Making matters worse, she did not see Mallory. Frowning, she was about to cut out, but she saw the bartender flagging her down. She did not know him well, but she went over to him anyway.

“You wanted me?” Poe asked, pointing to herself just to be sure.

“Yeah, I have a message for you. It’s been here for over a week,” Lysander informed her in a friendly voice. He went under the bar and handed her a note. 

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Lysander waved her off with a kind smile and she walked away, reading the note on the way out. “I go to a gym on eighth avenue sometimes. There’s an art supply store across the street. ~ Mallory.” Poe smiled. The redhead was trying to increase their chances of meeting. She decided to put some effort into it herself and went down to see if Mallory was at the gym.

The gym was a thirty-minute walk from Goodies, but Poe did not mind. She knew the art supply store that Mallory was referring to. She scanned the display windows in front of the rather expensive gym to try to spot Mallory’s distinctive crimson mane. She did not see it, but decided to keep a vigil for a while from the art supply store. After an hour-long stakeout, she was rewarded with the sight of Malloy leaving the gym.

Poe dashed out of the store with a bag of new paintbrushes because she did need some and bolted across the street, not even bothering to watch for traffic. She trotted behind Mallory and almost got her head knocked off as Mallory whipped around with a powerful kick. Poe yelped, ducked, and laughed. Mallory chuckled as her blue gaze fell downward to Poe.

“Poe?” Mallory said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, fancy meeting you here, huh?” Poe stood up to her proper height.

Mallory smiled and her eyes, already an enchanting blue, seemed to shine. She surprisingly reached out, running her fingers through Poe’s hair. Poe nearly purred, but was able to keep the sound in her throat. Her eyelids drooped a bit, though. _How did she know?_

“Come on, I’m headed home. I need a shower and you’re free to watch as much soccer as you like,” Mallory announced.

The artist nodded and her face lit up at the offer. She followed Mallory just as faithfully as she had the first time when football was offered. They returned to Mallory’s apartment. Poe wordlessly went for the couch while Mallory went for the shower. Poe wasted no time turning on the television to find it was already on the soccer channel.

“Sweet,” she mumbled with a smile.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory took her time in the shower, needing to process why she felt joy the moment that she saw Poe. She was not sure what that meant. It had been a long time since a person brought happiness into her life. And the last time a person had done that was her two-year-old niece.

She shook that thought away and consciously decided that she did not care. Once her body was completely relaxed thanks to nearly scolding hot water and aromatherapy in the form of her body wash and shampoo, she exited the shower. She dried her hair as best she could and then went to put on a nearly see-through slip with a plunging neckline and embroidered roses around it. Two laces crossed just below her breasts. She doubted Poe would notice at first, but the younger woman would appreciate it when the time was right.

“Still watching soccer, huh?” Mallory asked, a teasing smile adorning her face as she marched out into the living room. She had contemplated wearing heels with the slip, but she figured it would take Poe a while to notice what she was wearing on her body, so she probably never would realize what was on the redhead’s feet.

“Yes, ma’am,” Poe answered distantly, deep cocoa eyes focused on the television.

“Yes, ma’am? Where are these manners suddenly coming from? I might miss my rude little Poe,” Mallory remarked with another bright smile.

Poe gave her a quick glance. “My mom instilled some manners in me,” she stated, almost as if she were insulted.

“I’m sure. You want something to drink?” Mallory offered because there was nothing better to do.

“Yes, please.”

Mallory chuckled at the response. _I think I like her with manners just as much as I like her rudeness_. She grabbed a soda for Poe and some water for herself. They sat quietly for a while with Poe enthralled with soccer and Mallory read a book. Every now and then, Mallory sneaked looks at her guest.

Again, she thought that Poe was odd, and very quiet. The way that she watched soccer, on the edge of her seat, but silent as a church mouse, was strange. She was prone to snapping if pushed, but polite and accepting if she wanted to be. She was not afraid and had built her body to frighten off people that might otherwise challenge her. Mallory suspected that Poe might have been bullied when she was younger and now that she was stronger would not be pushed around by anyone.

“So, Poe, why soccer?” Mallory suddenly asked. _Maybe I can prove my theory, if she’s willing to talk_.

“My dad got me into it,” was the simple response.

 _Sounds normal enough_. “How?”

Poe shrugged and she was quiet briefly, as if deciding if she wanted to tell Mallory. “One day we were both in the living room and he was watching a match. He just started randomly explaining the game to me. It took me awhile to realize he was talking to me, but when I did, I got curious.”

 _And now we’re back to strange_. “Why’d it take you a moment to realize he was talking to you? Were there other people in the living room?”

Poe shook her head. “No, just me and him.”

A dark red eyebrow craned. “So, who did you think he was talking to? The voices in his head?”

Poe chuckled. “No, not the voices in his head. Just not me. I didn’t expect my dad to be so nice because the last few families I was with weren’t very nice and a lot of the time talking got you into trouble or meant trouble, like you weren’t spoken to unless something bad was going to happen. But, my mom and dad turned out to be great.”

“You were a foster kid?” _That makes sense. She’s quiet, so she won’t be kicked out, but she’s feisty in cases where someone tries something with her_.

“Yup, up until I was twelve. My parents legally adopted me,” Poe said freely, actually proudly. She held her head up and those dark eyes shined like black diamonds.

Mallory nodded and smiled slightly because of the emotions that Poe expressed for her family. “Must’ve been tough.”

The younger woman nodded and her eyes drifted to the floor momentarily before going back to the television. “It was. It made things really scary when I got to my parents. I didn’t know what to make of my parents at first. I had a few kind foster parents, but only for a short time and none of them were truly like my parents. Plus, before them, I had been in a lot of bad homes, nasty places. I was always scared to end up in places like that. I ran away a lot, ended up in even worse places sometimes. But, I hit the jackpot with my mom and dad.”

Mallory nodded, not wanting to carry on such a serious conversation. But, then again, Poe talked about it as if it were all right now. Mallory still decided to let the matter drop. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with something that required serious thinking on her day off. She also did not want to end up playing someone’s therapist on her day off, even if that someone was Poe. So, she went back to her book and Poe kept watching soccer.

“Hey, Poe, what do you want for dinner? I’m thinking Thai. I have a menu if you need to see it,” Mallory offered after some time had past.

Poe shrugged. “Thai sounds good. I’ll take whatever.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. I haven’t met something I couldn’t eat.”

Mallory laughed. “I can believe that, kid.”

Mallory found that to be the truth when their dinner arrived. Poe had no idea as to what her meal was called, but devoured it just the same. Mallory had to pause from eating as she watched Poe lick her fingers clean. The redhead felt herself throb as she remembered that tongue and those fingers on her. _It feels so good to be turned on without it having to be on demand_.

Mallory did not act on her building desire yet. She would wait until the end of the soccer match, allow the fire to build to a delightful ache, and then she would pounce. The very thought of how sweet it would be sent a frisson racing down her spine. So, she went back to her book when she was done with her food. Poe went back to her match, as quiet as always.

Mallory had to shift in her seat as she watched Poe lean forward as a player pushed toward the goal. Poe’s muscles tensed and bulged in her arms as the player took the shot, which made Mallory groan slightly. Poe settled down as the goalie caught the ball and Mallory sighed under her breath. _I might not make it to the end of this game if that’s how I react just because she moved! God, such a sweet torture!_ She enjoyed every agonizing moment of it.

Poe seemed none the wiser to her effect on Mallory while she continued to watch the game and react to things happening on screen. As soon as the match was over, Mallory was all over Poe, lips on Poe’s spicy mouth. She took Poe’s hands and put them on her ass. Poe groaned and kneaded the plump flesh in her hands without any direction.

“Take me to bed, Poe,” Mallory breathed.

“I didn’t –” Poe was silenced by a finger to her lip.

“I know. You didn’t come here for this, but I want this.” _Badly_. _So fucking badly_.

Poe only nodded and kissed Mallory deeply. Briefly, Mallory gave herself over to the pleasure of the Poe’s mouth, allowing Poe to control the kiss. The older woman felt her blood boiling and just attributed the feeling to the fact that she rarely got to feel what she believed was the perfect mix of feminine softness and hard muscle.

“Poe, you feel so good. Hard just where I like and soft just where I like,” Mallory sighed contently, pressing herself against Poe and drawing out a hiss from the younger woman.

“Shit!” Poe grabbed Mallory’s ass tighter, pulling her closer.

“Maybe we should just stay here, right on the couch and then maybe on the floor,” the redhead whispered before flicking her tongue in Poe’s ear. “You’d like that, right? To fuck me on the couch and then on the floor?”

Poe’s eyes were clouded over, but she managed to nod. “Uh-huh.” She sounded like she was in a complete daze.

The older woman chuckled softly. “You ever do that before?”

“Uh-uh.” Somehow, Poe had enough brain cells left to shake her head once.

“Then we’ll do it now and as many times as you want after. Then we’ll continue your education.”

Poe could only nod and then Mallory’s mouth was on hers again. The redhead growled as she took control of Poe’s mouth, exploring each and every spicy inch of it with her tongue. Poe moaned loudly, wantonly, which only made Mallory growl, craving more of her. She began making short work of Poe’s clothes.

“I love that you don’t wear a bra,” Mallory commented as she slid Poe’s soccer jersey and undershirt off, filling her hands with Poe’s small breasts. She started another kiss, so Poe could not respond to her words. Not that it was important. The only important thing was getting naked and then having her way with Poe all over the apartment.

-8-8-8-8-

The next time Mallory and Poe “ran” into each other was a couple of weeks later. Poe had once again tried Goodies, but failed to see Mallory. She even stayed for a while, but that did not do anything. So, next she tried the gym and that took a couple of days, along with a few dollars as she ended up buying more art supplies because she needed so much paint thanks to another creative burst. Eventually, she spotted the redhead leaving the gym. Mallory turned around in time to see her coming.

“Poe, what are you doing around here again?” Mallory asked, folding her arms across her chest. Her gaze was almost accusing, but there was something underneath the beautiful, slightly furious cerulean stare. Poe could not put her finger on it, though.

“Uh … buying paints,” Poe lied. _Why did I have to go home and put the paint away?! Now, I look like a creep._ She could tell that she was not supposed to show Mallory that she was actively looking for her. Just like Mallory did not openly show that she enjoyed having Poe around. Poe was not sure why it was, but she did not want to make the older woman uncomfortable.

Mallory arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Where’s the paint?”

“Oh! Uh … I didn’t see the colors I need.” Mentally, Poe slapped herself in the forehead. _Why didn’t I just tell her I took them home? But, then again, why the hell would I come back to the store after I took the paints I just bought from the store home?_ She decided it was in her best interest to just stop thinking about it.

Mallory offered her a pout for her plight with the paint … maybe she knew about Poe’s inner, deranged monologue and that was why she offered the expression. “That’s too bad. Well, I need a shower.”

Poe nodded and silently followed Mallory back to her place, somehow knowing that was the signal. They settled in their usual spots. Poe watched the soccer channel for a while and then remembered the last time Mallory had spoken to her, asked about her, and learned about her. _I should do the same. I mean, she’s really nice and I like her so far, even though I don’t get her. I should try to find out more about her because I don’t want her to think I’m using her for her soccer channel or anything. I do like her, I guess_. One of the reasons that she had shared with Mallory was because Mallory had been so nice to her and she had come to like the redhead.

“What book are you reading?” Poe asked, glancing away from the television for a second.

“Hmm?” Mallory did not bother to look up, which her guest could understand.

“The book. You’re always reading. What are you reading? Looks thick.”

The redhead chuckled and her eyes shined as she glanced up at the younger woman. “This week I’m reading Richard III. The book itself is the complete works of Shakespeare, volume one.”

Poe nodded. “I’ve got those. My set looks different, though.”

Mallory blinked and gave Poe an odd, wide-eyed stare. “You don’t seem like the Shakespeare type.”

“My dad’s an English teacher and a writer. When they got me, I was really behind in schoolwork. I missed a lot of school before them for a lot of different reasons and they wanted to get me up to speed to be in my right grade. Because of all of their effort and I already liked writing, so I started reading. Dad made sure I read the classics, including Shakespeare.”

Mallory nodded and smiled a little. The expression seemed fond, liking a distant memory. “My dad got me into reading, too. Of course, I never had the grade problem. I grew up in pretty normal.”

“That’s good. Do you still see your family?”

“Yeah, every now and then. They don’t live far from the city. They’re still pretty normal. My little brother’s in grad school and getting a degree in finance. My older sister’s happily married, pregnant with her second kid, and works for a PR company. My parents are waiting for me settle down, bugging me about when they get the chance.” 

Poe smiled. “Wow, that is normal. My parents are normal, but I’m not, so sometimes they don’t know what to do with me.”

“They’re doing a good job.”

“Thanks. Yours, too.”

Mallory chuckled and the conversation dropped. Poe went back to watching soccer with a smile on her face. _I made small talk and didn’t suck!_ Internally, she preened. She noticed Mallory glancing at her over her book, so she tried to act cool, but the small smile on the older woman’s face let her know that she was busted. She blushed slightly and tried her best to act normal.

It was some time after dinner was ordered and eaten that Mallory put her book down. Instead of attacking Poe, she merely stood in front of the artist. It was only then that Poe took in the emerald slip that she was wearing.

“Whoa,” the younger woman muttered. The slip barely covered anything at all, leaving so much wonderful, creamy skin on display. Her mouth went dry as she noticed Mallory’s nipples were standing at attention and almost visible through her slip.

“Yeah. I feel like you like soccer more than me,” Mallory said, taking Poe’s hands and placing them on her hips. “Do you like soccer more than me?” she asked with a pout.

Poe licked her lips. “No, ma’am,” her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Really? But, you never notice these things when you’re watching soccer. You never notice me.”

“God, I do. You’re too beautiful to miss. I just … I’m a goober sometimes.” Of course, she knew what Mallory was wearing, but it did not register to her brain because she was not there to ogle the redhead. She did not want to stare or do something else that could be seen as disrespectful, but apparently, not noticing was worse than staring.

Mallory laughed. “Yeah, but you’re a cute goober. Now, cute goober, if you take me to bed right now, I’ll do special things to you. Play with me.”

Poe’s throat went dry and she had to swallow several times to get it working again. Mallory had already done “special things” to her the last time they “played.” Poe could only nod as Mallory eased onto the couch and straddled her thighs. Poe’s hands moved on their own, creeping under the slip to naked flesh. She shuddered and groaned as Mallory ran her tongue along Poe’s cheek.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Poe whispered.

“You’ll go with a smile, I promise you that.” Mallory rocked her hips into Poe, earning a breathless hiss.

“You’re probably right.”

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory groaned as she woke up from a sound sleep. She could hear Poe moving around the room, getting dressed undoubtedly. She heard the door slide open.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Mallory called.

Poe yelped. “I didn’t want to wake you up. You’re so tired.”

“Come back. My goodbye kiss.”

“Oh, yeah!”

Poe rushed back to the bed and gave Mallory a brief kiss on the lips. Poe left and Mallory smiled. She rolled over to take Poe’s pillows in her arms. She buried her nose in the pillow.

“Even her smell is relaxing,” Mallory sighed contently. She settled back into her space, inhaling Poe’s scent.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe went home, showered and slept. When she awoke, she went to do some writing, getting through more than a chapter. She and then worked on a painting, using her long, broad strokes, but all sorts of vibrant colors. She was glad to get the work done because she knew in about a week, she would waste a few days trying to find Mallory. The thought actually brought a smile to her face.  

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Poe and Mallory hang out outside.


	5. Education

5: Education

Scarlet growled as she tore out of a hotel room, her fiery mane whipping behind her as she yanked the door closed behind her. Her eyes were dark like a stormy sky and her black cocktail dress was ripped at the shoulder from the haste with which she put it on. She was holding a bundle of clothes that were clearly not hers, a long-sleeve, blue oxford shirt and khakis. As she punched the button for the elevator, she pulled out her cell phone. Somebody was going to get a piece of her mind! 

“Tatijana, you better answer this fucking phone, you motherfucker!” the redhead snarled, kicking over a nearby trashcan. The elevator came before she could destroy anything else. She settled for punching the button for the lobby.

“Is there are reason you’re calling me?” her boss demanded.

“What the fuck was up with that date? I had to beat that dude’s ass!” Scarlet screamed as she started toward the first floor.

“You beat up a client?” the question was close to a roar.

“Would you rather have me get killed? The whole fucking reason I deal with you is because you’re supposedly tops in this shit! You’re supposed to weed out the fucking scumbags and keep them from doing bullshit like this!”

“What the hell did he do?” Tatijana’s accent came out heavily and Scarlet would not be surprised when she began swearing in Russian.

The redhead growled as she thought back to what went down barely five minutes ago. “Fucking bastard pulled a knife on me! He’s fucking lucky I didn’t cut his balls off with the damn thing after I took it from him! I should’ve shoved it up his ass!”

“Is he still in that fucking room?” the boss demanded.

“He won’t be walking for a while,” the redhead growled. “Or talking really.” 

“Did you kill him?” Tatijana wondered aloud. It probably would not surprise her if Scarlet did, even though the redhead had yet to go that far when defending herself.

“He’s alive. He might call the police and claim that he got robbed. I doubt they’ll believe him since he’s fucking butt-naked in a hotel room,” Scarlet reported as she marched out of the elevator.

“Have Baran go talk to him,” Tatijana ordered.

“No, the only thing Bear is doing is driving me far, far away.” As she spoke the words, Baran pulled up to the car. She jumped in immediately. “I’m done for the night,” she said into her cell phone.

“Why are you carrying clothes?” Baran asked curiously.

“Clothes?” she echoed, forgetting about the bundle in her arms. She opened the door and dumped them on the curb. The guy’s wallet and his knife were amongst the discarded items. She figured if the police arrived fast enough, then they would be able to retrieve those things and his robbery story would look like even more of a crock.

“Why did you have the guy’s clothes?” Baran inquired again.

“Just drive. Drive,” she sighed, disconnecting the call with the boss since she was busy swearing in Russian.

“Going home?” Baran asked.

“Goodies.” 

Thankfully, he just drove and did not ask stupid questions. She felt a headache trying to come on, but she forced it down through sheer willpower. She was not sure how long that would last, though. He drove her to her favorite bar and pulled away as soon as she shut the door. She did not care and just marched into Goodies, seeking salvation. She clocked the place, noticing that it was nearly packed, but not seeing the one person that she was itching to see.

“Fuck. It’s probably too early for her to be here,” Scarlet frowned and shook her head. She went to the bar, settling for the next best thing to seeing Poe. “Pour a lady a drink?” she asked Lysander with a forced smile.

“I think I might make it two. You look like hell,” the bartender commented with concerned brown eyes.

She scoffed and exaggerated rolling her eyes. “You just can’t appreciate my beauty. But, it’s been a long night and it’s barely ten. Is it always packed like this around this time?”

He looked around, as if just noticing all of the people in the bar. “Yeah. We put on a bunch of games and do challenges for free drinks.”

“Stupid guy challenges?”

He arched an amused eyebrow. “There are other types of challenges?”

She laughed and conceded that point. He placed her drink in front of her and went to serve some other customers. She chuckled as she watched him make eyes with a cute guy at the end of the bar, who seemed quite flattered by the bartender’s open adoration. She silently admitted that Lysander was smooth and she still wondered how his father could not figure out that he was gay. Thinking about his father, she scoped the scene for Leander, thinking that if he was out and about, she might spot Poe also.

Instead of Poe, Leander was sitting with some gentlemen his own age and laughing it up with them. Scarlet sighed and her shoulders slumped. _I probably won’t see her tonight_. With that, she downed her whole drink in own blazing gulp.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe yawned and put down her laptop. She rubbed her burning eyes and stood up. _Been working too much._ She was thankful to be able to make such a complaint, but she felt it was time to reward herself. _Soccer!_

She felt like she earned some soccer yet again. Unfortunately, it was too late to go stalk Mallory, so she went with her second option. She marched down to Goodies and was surprised to hear noise coming from the place at one in the morning on a weekday. As she stepped in, she discovered the playful blustering was coming from a handful of men crowded around Mallory. The redhead was throwing darts and swaying enough to show that she was quite intoxicated.

She watched as Mallory closed one eye and prepared to throw one of the many darts that she was holding. She drew back and then almost fell over, but one of the guys caught her. He compensated himself for his good deed by squeezing Mallory’s ass. The redhead giggled a bit and blithely swatted at his busy hands, totally missing them. He chuckled and patted her butt, which made her turn her attention back to the dartboard. Poe frowned as she felt something flare inside of her. She was not sure what it was, but exploded throughout her entire being and made her want to pulverize those guys. 

“Mallory,” Poe called out as she approached the group, stomping heavily with each step.

Mallory turned and her face lit up with a sparkling grin. Her usually clear blue eyes were cloudy from alcohol. “Poe! Come watch me win at darts!” she requested cheerfully, waving the younger woman over.

Poe laughed a little because of her friend’s jovial tone, but she watched and did not like what she saw. Mallory threw her darts, all missing. Some of them actually went in the wall well behind the board. The men laughed and Poe wondered why. As she watched her friend pull back several shots, she figured out why as the men reached out and touched her to their hearts content. The men seemed to think Mallory feeling the effects of alcohol poisoning was hilarious and an easy way to feel up a beautiful woman.

“Hey, Mallory, it’s time to go home.” Poe took the taller woman by the shoulders.

Mallory offered her a drunken smile. “Okay! Sorry, guys, but my little Poe-bo is gonna take me home and play with me!” she reported in a loud, happy voice.

“Poe-bo?” the artist echoed, twisting up her mouth as she did so. She had never had a nickname before and definitely could have done without that one. She glanced at Lysander, in case Mallory needed to pay a bar tab, but he waved her off.

To the loud, disappointed groans and complaints from the men, Poe led Mallory out of the bar. She called for a cab, doubting that her friend could walk a block, let alone the twenty that she lived. She moved them out of view of the bar and the cab showed up a couple of minutes later.

Mallory got very touchy in the taxi, pawing at Poe, bolding even putting her hands inside Poe’s shirt. The cab driver looked quite amused as Poe tried to fight off Mallory without hurting her. While she had done some wild things with Mallory, becoming an exhibitionist was not going to make it onto that list, no matter how many times the redhead tried to stick her hand into Poe’s pants. Poe glared at the cab driver as he chuckled and adjusted the mirror, more than likely wanting a better view of the show.

“Just drive,” Poe growled and the guy finally pulled away from the curb, going off toward Mallory’s apartment. The redhead busied herself by getting as close to Poe as possible, practically sitting in her lap.

“C’mon, Poe-bo, play with me,” Mallory purred as she bit Poe’s neck.

“We’re in a cab, Mallory. Control yourself,” Poe said, carefully pushing the older woman away. While Mallory was the taller of the pair, Poe was certain that she was the stronger one between them. _I should be able to hold her off_.

“Don’t wanna.” Mallory arched and pushed the lower half of her body into Poe, causing the artist to retreat. That seemed to be what the intoxicated redhead desired, as she surged forward as soon as she could to attack Poe again. Poe groaned in frustration as she tried once more to hold Mallory off without hurting her.

Eventually, Poe grabbed and held Mallory’s wrists, pinning her hands above her head. Of course, Mallory smiled, the expression almost goofy, seeming to enjoy having the artist manhandle her. Poe did not even want to think about that actually being the case. Poe just threw money at the cab driver as he pulled up to Mallory’s building. As the taxi came to a halt, Poe now had to figure out how to get Mallory out of the cab without being molested and up to her home without dropping her. Neither seemed like easy tasks.

Mallory snickered in Poe’s ear as the author gently tugged her out of the car and those busy hands started to feel on Poe. The shorter woman waved at the doorman while trying to keep Mallory off of her. The doorman chuckled and shook his head while allowing her inside with the drunken resident.

Getting into the elevator proved to be worse than being in the backseat of the cab. Mallory practically draped herself on Poe, who could not really move the redhead off of her because Mallory could barely stand. Matters only got worse when Mallory remembered there was a camera in the elevator and she seemed intent on giving a show to whoever was manning the damned thing. Thankfully, that only lasted a second and then Mallory sneered at the camera, as if it suddenly offended her. Poe breathed a sigh of relief as they got to the top level.

“Mallory, where’re your keys?” Poe asked as they got to her door.

“Why do we need keys? We could do it right here,” Mallory suggested with another goofy grin.

“Yeah, no. Not gonna happen,” Poe deadpanned. She took Mallory’s purse from her hand and rifled through it. She found the keys and let them into the apartment.

“Kitchen?” the redhead offered with a hopeful smile.

“No, You’re going to bed. Why do you have sex on the mind?”

“Because you’re so sexy! I love your hard body!” Mallory cooed, running her hands along Poe’s abdomen.

“I’m sure you’ve seen better.” 

“But, not on someone as cute as you. You’re so cute, Poe-bo, and I like having you around!” she practically howled the words. “Poe-bo is so cute!”

Poe only laughed as she helped put her friend to bed. She had no problem stripping Mallory all the way down to nothing. As soon as she hit the pillow, Mallory was asleep. Poe chuckled and covered the redhead with her blanket. She then went to watch some soccer.

Poe made herself comfortable on the sofa and turned on the television. It was still on the soccer channel, so she was starting to understand how little Mallory watched her television. She sat there a few hours, keeping an ear open in case Mallory needed her for whatever reason, and then left.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory awoke feeling less than stellar and all too aware of why that was. She crawled out of bed and into the shower, which always made her feel more human. As she washed her hair, she recalled as much of the night as she could after drinking tequila like it was water.

“I hope Lysander cut me off eventually or the old man might never let me into Goodies again,” she grumbled, knowing how she could get when incredible intoxicated. While Goodies was not the only bar in town by far, she liked Lysander and chatting with him over drinks. She also liked Poe. “Poe,” she gasped and had flashes of making drunken passes at the artist in a cab and the elevator. She groaned. “So stupid.”

Once she was done with her shower, she rushed to the living room, thinking that Poe might still be there. No such luck, though. She groaned and put on some casual clothes, jeans and a button-up shirt with heeled sandals. She decided to go to Goodies, just to have Lysander fill her in on how big of an ass she made of herself.

Since it was the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday with plenty of sporting events on, Goodies was packed. Without any consent from her brain, Mallory’s clear blue eyes scanned for some sign of Poe. Of course, the artist was nowhere to be found, which caused her shoulders to drop just a bit. She sat at the bar and Lysander smiled at her.

“I hope you’re not back for round two,” he commented with a light chuckle.

“No, but I would like the play-by-play of what I did last night. I didn’t fuck anybody on the bar, right?” she joked.

He chuckled. “We’d have had more people in the bar if you had. No, you got friendly with a group of guys, did a few shots with them, played some drunken darts, and shoved your tits in my dad’s face.”

Her face fell and then he started laughing. “That’s not funny!”

He moved to serve a customer, still chuckling. “Except for that last part, that is what happened. You seemed like you were having a good time, so I left you alone. I will admit the guys were getting grabbing, but again, you seemed like you were enjoying yourself. Your little friend showed up before you killed anyone with the darts and before the guys got out of hand. She took you home. I’m surprised you could stand up, though. I couldn’t believe how much you put away.”

“Why’d you keep serving me then?”

He scoffed and then leaned in closer to her. “You threatened to tear my balls off and when that didn’t work, you resorted to trying to out me to my father.”

She grimaced. “Shit. Sorry, man.”

He waved it off. “He wouldn’t have believed you, but you seemed desperate at that point, so I let you slide. Besides, I know you’re not driving anywhere. I was planning to step in if those guys got rough with you or anything or if you tried to go home with one of them.”

“Still, that was fucked up of me. I’m really sorry.”

Again, he waved it off. She was about to say something, thank him for putting up with her mostly, but he nodded toward the door. She turned around to see Poe walking in. The small woman scanned the place with a frown, probably mentally debating if she should stay. Mallory got up and approached Poe with a smile on her face. Poe smiled in return.

“Hey, nice to see you up and about. How’re you feeling?” the artist asked with warm brown eyes that distracted Mallory for a few seconds.

The redhead recovered as Poe stared at her more intently, worry in those eyes now. “I’m good. Thanks for last night.,” the older woman smiled gratefully.

“No problem. It’s not like you haven’t helped me out dozens of times.”

“Still, I have to thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I’d have been sleeping in the hallway, if I was lucky. Plus, you got me away from a group of dudes before I did something even dumber than letting them feel me up. So, just accept my thanks.” While she was an escort by trade, she did not like the idea of random men that she could not even recall groping her. Her job, she was the one in control, even when the clients thought otherwise. When she was drunk, the environment was in control and she was not in favor of that when there was a bunch of horny people surrounding her.

Poe shrugged. “Okay. You’re welcome.”

The redhead chuckled a bit. _She’s so adorable_. “No, this isn’t my thanks. Come on, we’re going to lunch.”

Mallory took Poe’s hand and guided her out of the bar. Mentally, she sighed in relief that Poe did not pull away. They got into a taxi and rode to a restaurant that Mallory enjoyed and they were dressed appropriately for. They were seated immediately in a corner.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Poe pointed out.

“I wanted to do it. Just shut up and enjoy it,” Mallory ordered with a laugh.

Poe decided to go with it, not objecting or bringing it up again. Their waitress brought over menus, but Mallory offered to order for Poe to make things go faster. Besides, she knew that Poe would eat anything without complaint. The waitress took their drink and food orders since they were ready. For a few seconds, the pair stared at each other in shock.

“So, what did you after you tucked me in? Did you stay a while?” Mallory inquired.

Poe nodded. “Watched some soccer.” 

The redhead laughed. “Of course. You’re predictable.”

“I like being predictable. I like having a routine, even though I really don’t have a routine.”

“You like stability.” _Not what I would expect from someone that looks like her, but knowing her background, it makes sense_.

Poe nodded. “It’s something I didn’t have for twelve years and when I finally got it, I almost didn’t know what to do.”

“You seem fine. Your parents obviously took care of business on that front. You have good parents.”

“I know. What about you?” Poe asked curiously.

Mallory shrugged. “My parents are great. They’d probably get along great with your folks.”

That drew a chuckle out of her dining partner. “I dunno. My parents are kinda hippies. I mean, they adopted a kid that barely talked to them.”

“Turned out to be a brilliant decision. You worked out well. They saw something good in you and they were right.”

Poe smiled slightly and blushed, which was completely adorable. She nodded slowly, as if her mind was trying to figure out what to say to that compliment. “Thanks. They thought I was their only shot at having a kid, though. Little did they know, almost right after they adopted me, they’d get a kid of their own.”

Mallory’s forehead wrinkled a little as she took that information in. “But, they treated you the same?” Poe’s parents sounded too good to not treat her the same.

“Oh, yeah, and my dad made sure to get me ready to be a big sister, helped me to look forward to it, and get over the fear that they’d send me away. He was always working with me to help me be normal. He helped me out a lot. He helped me get out a lot of the poison that life had put in me, but for some reason, I still bonded with my mom faster. I think that might be natural because I’ve always wondered about my mother.”

“You never knew her?”

Poe shook her head. “Never knew them. I never knew either of my birth parents. My parents actually looked for them for me. God, they’re so great. They had only my birth certificate and they began their hunt only to find my birth parents had died.”

Mallory let out a long breath. “Oh, wow. I’m sorry.” _She’s been through so much and she’s just a kid. It’s not fair. I almost don’t even want to tell her about me. I look like a spoiled, lazy brat compared to her. I have to remember to call Mom and Dad after this_.

Poe shrugged. “Thanks, but you don’t have to be. I couldn’t find any family when I went looking. My parents tried, too, but they came up with nothing. I just wanted to know something about my genetics at this point. I mean, I look in the mirror and wonder about where I come from. My birth certificate says ‘white’ and …” She looked at her bare arms, running her right hand across her left forearm. “I dunno. Maybe half? I dunno. Sometimes, I think Native American or Mexican. The hair and the eyes. I dunno, though. I’ve never even seen a picture of my birth parents and I couldn’t find out my mother’s maiden name.”

Mallory could feel her face telegraphing how hurt she was for Poe. “That is horrible. For me, it’d be easy. One look at the red hair and I know. I couldn’t get more Irish if I tried,” she chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. She really did not want things to get serious, even though the conversation was already there.

“Are both of your parents Irish?”

“My mother is so Irish her maiden name is O’Sullivan. I kid you not. They both still have family back in the ‘old country.’ We can’t understand a word from any family in the ‘old country,’ too. What about your parents?”

Poe shrugged. “They don’t really talk about ancestry and it might be because they knew I wonder about mine. My dad might come from German stock. I dunno.”

By the time their food and drinks arrived, the conversation had shifted a bit. First, Mallory assured Poe that she would enjoy the chicken that she ordered for the writer and then she asked about Poe’s art, remembering the painting in the younger woman’s spartan loft. Poe did not say much on her art.

“It’s coming along. I’ll have some stuff to show at an expo a few months from now,” she answered.

Mallory nodded. “Is that how you earn a living?”

“Kinda. I’m also an author.”

“A regular Renaissance woman. Have you written anything I might have read?”

Poe shrugged. “Maru: Knight of the Realm.”

 _Wow, she really is a Renaissance woman. She writes novels and paints like that? It’s almost not fair_. “Impressive. I’ve heard it’s popular with teenagers and has a sort of Arthurian vibe to it. That’s really impressive for a kid who can’t even drink yet. How’d you manage to get published at such a young age?”

“My dad knows a lot of people because the school that he and my mother work at is, well, it’s hard to explain. Have you ever heard of the Hyperion Academy?”

Mallory nodded. “A private school for talented artists of all types. I wanted to go there when I was much younger because I wrote poetry.”

“You write poetry? My dad does, too. You want me to show him some of your work? He could help you get published.”

Mallory smiled. “No, it’s all right. I write poetry just to relax and for myself. It helps me get my thoughts cleared, much like writing in my journal. It’s not something I want to share with the world. So, your parents both teach there?”

“Yeah, they teach there. My mom is a dance teacher. She used to be a famous dancer, but she got injured. She messed up her back, but she doesn’t talk about it much. Anyway, I used to keep journals, too, always writing. I never wrote poetry. Honestly, I don’t really get poetry. I wrote stories and such, but mostly for myself. I let my dad read them after I started wondering if I was any good and he liked what he saw. He started helping me improve. He got me a mentor, one of his former students.”

“Your dad is really good guy.”

Poe grinned, beaming at that. “Yeah. I’m lucky.”

“So, the mentor helped you get Maru published?”

“No, he helped me get my biography published.”

A creamy forehead wrinkled. “Biography? You’re like five. What the hell did you put in a biography?”

“My life. My journals. I talked about my time in foster care, living on the streets for a while, putting up with all kinds of abuse, and stuff like that. It made me feel good to get it out there. It’s why I can talk about it to you. It’s not a burden I have to lug around anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Poe. I shouldn’t have …” Mallory trailed off and glanced down, feeling ashamed of herself for the first time in a long time.

“It’s okay. Most people think that because I’m young, I haven’t lived my fair share of life. Really, the book was to help put my demons to rest and let people know we need more good foster parents in the system. While not all my families were bad, too many of them were. I ended the book talking about how getting my parents changed me for the better and helped me so much and I want that for other kids in the system.”

Mallory reached across the table. “I’m sorry about what you went through. I know that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, but I am.”

Poe smiled. “It does actually. So, what about you? How’d you get into your line of work?”

The redhead chuckled. “My line of work? Nice way to put it. It’s really simple. First and foremost, I love buying things. I’m a fashion hound for the most part and I like cutting corners if I can because I’m somewhat lazy,” she freely admitted. “When I was in college, my parents couldn’t really give me money like they did when I was younger because they had already sent my older sister to school and now there was me and they had to save for my younger brother to eventually go, too, so they didn’t really have money like they used to. I didn’t really want to get a regular job, even though I knew I could feed my shoe habit or my latest clothes addiction if I just went and got a job. I tried to forget about it and focus on school because I didn’t want to get distracted by things, but one day I saw pair of shoes … let’s just say, it was between shoes and books.” 

Poe’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You chose shoes?”

The older woman laughed, but she rubbed her forehead as if she could not believe her choice either. “Hell, yeah! Had you seen these shoes, you’d understand.” Mallory looked at Poe. “Okay, you probably would’ve bought the books. In fact, buying the books would’ve been the smart and right thing to do, I needed the shoes! That’s how I was. I’m telling you, I was addicted to shoes and the latest fashions at the time. Anyway, after I blew my money on the shoes, I find out that two professors I have teach right out of the book. Well, right out of several books. One was a science class. Do you have any idea how expensive science textbooks are?” 

Poe laughed. “No college experience for me, remember?”

The redhead made a hand gesture. “Right. Anyway, push comes to shove, I had to figure out how to pull together money for these books. Making matters worse, I find out that one of my classes, the professor does like a mini-quiz every week to make sure we do the reading. I’m feeling totally fucked at this point. I couldn’t fail, I’d never failed a class in my whole academic career. I couldn’t go back to my parents after I blew their money already, especially on some shoes. My dad would’ve gone berserk. He already always wanted to know why I needed so many pairs of shoes and he used to flip when I bought a new pair every month. Blowing my book money on shoes? He’d have gone totally nuts. So, I now needed a job and I needed one that wouldn’t have a three week waiting period for my first paycheck because I needed that money ASAP.” 

“Stripper?”

Mallory smiled and shrugged. “Hey, I’m hot. I’ve always known that. I stay in shape and I always have guys making passes at me, so I’m more than well aware of how attractive I am. I knew I could use that to my advantage and I know how to move my body. Fast money was only an ass shake away. And, boy, was it fast.” 

The tan forehead furrowed as Poe seemed to be trying to keep up. “So, you kept doing it for the shoes and clothes?”

“Hell, yeah! I don’t expect you to get it and, hell, if I was who I am today back then, I probably would’ve done things differently, but I wasn’t. I craved shoes and clothes like other women crave chocolate. It was so much money and it was so easy. I didn’t have to work five days a week or eight hours a day. It worked out so well. Plus, I learned quickly that guys buy their favorite strippers gifts. I’m talking ‘pay your rent’ gifts. I didn’t have rent, but I lied about it to get money for more shoes and clothes. I got tons of jewelry, shopping trips, and other goodies.”

Poe frowned a bit. “That’s …”

Mallory held up her hand. “Greedy, I know. Believe me, I know. I never realized how spoiled I was until I stopped and looked back on it. It got out of my system pretty fast, but I still accepted gifts if offered. Anyway, I stripped for about a year, saving money and still buying shoes and clothes every now and then. I think I really just spent myself out. One day, my current boss wandered into the club. I don’t know what for, but she spotted a guy getting really friendly with me and I didn’t want to be his friend. Before the crazy Russian could get out of her chair or security could do their job, I had the guy pinned to the wall with his arm behind his back and him screaming for someone to get the crazy bitch off of him.”

The younger woman laughed, causing her eyes to shine. She liked how tough Mallory was, despite her well-put together appearance. She had met a few girls like Mallory on the street, but the fact that Mallory was from the suburbs was intriguing. She was surprised that Mallory did not have some rough, tragic story to go with her lifestyle, just an obsession that she mishandled. It was strange as to what could sometimes drag normal people into abnormal situations.

Mallory continued on with her story. “So, I think I impressed the crazy Russian because at the end of the night, she approaches me with a job offer.”

“Your current work?” Poe guessed.

“Yes, my current work. I hadn’t done anything like it before, but sex wasn’t a new concept to me and by then I had decided that after college I wanted to start my own business. I was already trying to save money, but the salary that she offered was nothing like what I was making as a stripper. I almost couldn’t say no. I figured I’d make the start up capital working with her.”

The artist leaned forward and her forehead was wrinkled again. “You just jumped into it like that?”

The redhead rubbed her chin, trying to figure out how to explain it. “It was just something I thought I could do. I don’t back down and I like rising to challenges. It was like she was daring me to take the job, especially when she told me the amount of money I could make. I was just thinking about that business I wanted to start and how this seemed like the easy road to it. While I don’t back down and like challenges, I also like easy way more often than not. She only sweetened the deal when she mentioned the very lax work hours.”

“What type of business do you want?” Poe asked curiously.

A sigh escaped the older woman and she shrugged. “Either a bookstore or a gym. I like reading and I like working out. One of the reason I haven’t started yet is because I don’t know which I want. A bookstore probably isn’t going to make a lot of money, but I could open it by a college and make it like a café, too. I dunno.”

“You seem like you have thought on it some, but maybe you haven’t thought on it enough.”

Mallory nodded. “I haven’t thought as much on it as I like. I really haven’t thought on it at all for a while now.”

“Well, you’re thinking about it now. So, what about the gym?”

“A twenty-four hour place with a lot of classes, but especially stuff for kids. Karate, gymnastics, and stuff like that. When I was a kid, my parents made sure me and my siblings were active and we loved it, so I’d like to help bring that to other kids. Of course, I’d have classes for adults and stuff, too. I feel like I’d probably live there.” Mallory chuckled.

“Did you go to college for business?”

Another laugh came from the older woman and shook her head. “No, my degree is in English literature. Once upon a time, I was going to be an English teacher.”

Poe broke out laughing. Mallory feigned offense, lightly hitting the younger woman in the shoulder. Poe laughed louder.

“Are you trying to say I wouldn’t have cut it as an English teacher?” Mallory demanded, sticking her nose in the air and folding her arms across her ample chest.

The artist continued to chuckle. “I’m sure your students would be too distracted to learn much about English.”

“Not if they were like you. My head could be on fire while you’re watching soccer and you’d never know.”

“I’d notice during a commercial and help you then.”

Mallory threw her head back and let loose a laugh. They had finished dessert before they finally figured that it was time to go. Mallory pulled out cash to pay just as Poe did the same.

“I invited you out and this is supposed to be a thanks, so let me pay for this,” Mallory insisted, motioning for her companion to put her money away.

Poe thought on the logic briefly before nodding. She watched a smile light up Mallory’s beautiful features. The expression made Poe soften on the inside. It was a rare day when someone was happy to do something for her and she appreciated it.

“Do you have some place that you need to be?” Mallory asked as they exited the restaurant.

Poe shook her head. “Just back home.”

“Come with me to the movies. There’s a movie I want to see, but I refuse to go to the movies alone and it’s not something I do on dates.”

There was a shrug. “I don’t usually go to the movies at all, but I don’t have anything better to do.”

Mallory laughed. “You sure do know how to sweet talk a gal!”

Poe groaned and palmed her face. “I’m so bad at this.”

Mallory put her arm around the artist’s broad shoulders. “It’s okay. I think it’s cute.”

Poe smiled and merrily went along with Mallory, wondering why she felt so light and warm on the inside. The warmth did not vanish as they went into the cool theater. She focused on that and the soft hand that held hers more than what was on the screen.

-8-8-8-8-

The movie was mundane, but Mallory found herself smiling as they exited the theater. She had her hand wrapped around Poe’s, who was silent as usual. She wondered now if the silence was a protective mechanism because Poe could not talk to women. _Maybe her fumbling with women comes from her unusual upbringing. She sometimes seems so proud of herself when she makes it through a conversation with me_.

“So, how about dinner?” Mallory proposed. _The day’s shaping up well, so why end it?_

Poe shrugged. “I’m buying, though.”

Mallory chuckled. “Fine, you can buy. But, only this time.”

Poe’s forehead wrinkled and the redhead could not help thinking that Poe’s confusion was adorable. Without a thought, she reached over and ran her fingers through the artist’s hair. She noticed how Poe’s smiled softly when her fingers glided over her scalp and could not resist the urge to give the younger woman a small kiss on the corner of her mouth. They walked a short distance to a restaurant that Mallory liked. Dinner was much like lunch with slightly different conversation.

“So, do you still write poetry?” Poe inquired curiously as she sipped a non-alcoholic cocktail that Mallory had ordered for her. She smiled, showing that she liked it.

“Yeah, every now and then. It had been months in between poems until a while ago,” Mallory answered.

“You sure you don’t want to me to talk to my father and see if he can help?”

“You’re sweet to offer, but I’m fine. For me, the poetry, like the journaling, is just for me and trying to make sense of my mind and the world around me.”

Poe nodded. “Painting is like that for me. Other people might enjoy the paintings, but for me the canvas is to get things out and to make sense of stuff. I don’t need to keep them or anything.”

“Well, a poem takes up a lot less space than a painting,” Mallory remarked with a teasing smile.

“You got me there.”

“Thank you for the kind thought again, though.”

They turned their attention back to their meals. Mallory wondered if Poe wanted to know more about how she got into her profession, but she did not want to bring it up. She did not want to say something that might drive Poe away, especially not while they were having such a good time.

“You like the food?” Mallory inquired.

“It’s really good. Lunch was good, too. You know a lot of good restaurants,” Poe replied with a grateful grin, along with a mouthful of food.

“Well, kid, stick with me and I’ll show you some other places you’d like.” She winked one blue eye.

The younger woman laughed a little and then returned to her plate. Mallory smiled to herself, pleased that her companion was so happy. They ate quietly for the most part after that and enjoyed dessert when their dinner was done.

“Any other place you wanna go?” Poe asked as they left the restaurant.

“Ready to get rid of me already?” Mallory teased.

Poe blushed, all the way up to her ears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just you keep wanting to go somewhere, so I thought you might have some other place in mind. Unless you’re tired. You wanna go home?”

Mallory chuckled. She should go home. She had a date tomorrow that was supposed to last all day, but she was having fun with Poe. She was all about fun, so she would stick to Poe.

“Let’s go to your place. I want to see your paintings,” the redhead said.

“Shouldn’t I be the one inviting you up to my apartment to see my etchings?” the younger woman joked.

Mallory laughed. “You are too cute, especially when you crack a joke! But, I actually want to see your paintings. You have been painting, right?”

“Painting and writing.”

“Great! Let’s go! Now, I want to see both.”

Poe shrugged, causing Mallory to smile. They were close to Poe’s apartment, but took a cab because Mallory’s feet were beginning to hurt. The redhead sat close to Poe during the ride, enjoying the slight flush to Poe’s tan skin. She loved how even with the low blush, the dull red crept up to Poe’s elfish ears. Ears that she wanted to nibble and stick her tongue in. _Oh, well, at least we’ll be close to a bed._

Suddenly, the ride was too long, even though it was only a few minutes. The trip upstairs was long, too, but as soon as they got into the apartment, she was overcome by a sudden calm. In the safety of Poe’s home, everything seemed to slow down and that was fine by Mallory. She could not figure out why the urge to pounce Poe always came upon her when she was in the younger woman’s presence. She figured that she should get bored with Poe eventually, even if Poe had the perfect body as far as she was concerned, but she was pleased that she had not gotten over the feel of the younger woman.

“You want to see the paintings?” Poe pointed to the corner of the apartment holding her art.

Mallory chuckled as she turned to the area. “It looks like a paint grenade went off over here. Can I just go through the pile?” She saw the canvases placed with care on a shelf and leaned against the wall.

“Knock yourself out. Just don’t touch the one on the stand,” Poe replied. “Uh … you want something to drink or something? I have …” She went to the fridge before finishing that thought. “Milk, orange juice, and what used to be fruit punch, but might be a science project now.”

The redhead laughed yet again. “I’m not surprised with the way you keep house.”

Poe looked around and scratched her head. “Uh … sorry. My mom tells me I should do better, especially if I have a girl over. Guess my mom was right.”

Mallory only chuckled, finding it unnecessary to point out that Poe’s mother was quite right. It was not so much that Poe’s apartment was a mess, but that it was lacking. It was like Poe expected to have to leave at any moment, which she bet had to do with Poe being a foster kid. The ebony-haired artist had a sofa and a desk as far as furniture went. There was organization to an extent, but everything was kept in piles or stacks. Her paints and clothes on the floor made the only real mess.

“Do you keep it this way because you plan on moving soon?” Mallory asked.

“Nope, been here a year-plus now,” Poe answered and that was followed by a crunching noise.

“Are you eating again?” the redhead inquired incredulously. She turned around to see what the younger woman had.

Poe shrugged. “Just pickles. You want one?” She held up the sliced pickle spear.

“God, no. I’m not interested in pickles, but I would love to eat,” Mallory remarked with a smirk.

“We’re not talking about food anymore, are we?”

Mallory giggled. “You are so cute. Finish your pickle while I finish looking at your paintings.” The redhead turned back to the art and noticed that Poe painted a lot of nature scenes. “Are these places you’ve gone before?”

“No, all my paintings are fantasy places in my head or shadowy places in my nightmares.”

As soon as Poe said that, Mallory got to a painting that allowed her to see it was fantasy. Teeth and hands that appeared demonic were coming out of the dark ground, reaching for a mountain lion that rested on a rock. The colors in the painting were oddly light for the small image that she noticed. But, there were other things in the painting that seemed to go with the light colors. She took in the details of the scene, all the way down to the unique feathers of some birds.

“You’re so talented,” the older woman commented. Poe did not respond, not that Mallory expected her to. She moved onto the next painting, a portrait. The colors again were striking. The face did not have much of an expression, but the colors pulled sorrow from the pit of Mallory’s stomach. She then noticed a faint halo around the head.

“Hey, you want cream cheese?” Poe offered out of the blue.

Mallory almost could not believe the offer. “You’re still eating the pickle!”

“I like cream cheese. It’s a good snack.”

Mallory groaned, but did not say anything. She put down the painting and went to save Poe from herself. She took control of Poe’s mouth just as the younger woman was about to dip her pickle in a tub of cream cheese. Poe moaned and surrendered to Mallory’s sweet assault.

“You taste like pickles and cream cheese,” Mallory complained as she pulled away. Those were two tastes that she would rather not experience together again.

Poe frowned because of the end of the kiss. “Uh … You could kiss it away,” she suggested with a hopeful smile.

The deadpan expression on Mallory’s face responded to that. “Or you can go brush your teeth and I’ll be waiting naked on your bed.”

That seemed to be more than enough motivation for Poe. She went to the bathroom while Mallory went to the bed. Now that she knew Poe better, the Spartan room seemed to fit her. Of course, it also fit the idea that Poe did not view the loft as her home. It was just some place for her to rest.

“Where is home then, Poe?” Mallory wondered. She suspected home was with her foster family since she spoke of them in such glowing terms. “But, then, why leave?” Mallory did not have time to consider it as she heard the water to the sink stop. She quickly undressed, leaving on her bra and panties. She liked when Poe eased the garments off her. The artist peeked her head through the curtains and her eyes lit up when she saw Mallory posed on her bed, back arched, breasts jutting out.

The redhead smirked, beckoning Poe to her with a single finger. Poe nodded as if she was in a trance and hurried into the “bedroom.” Mallory moved, crawling down the bed to settle in front of the artist, not wanting to miss the show.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Mallory chirped, leaning forward to nip at her host’s stomach through her shirt.

Poe chuckled. “What if I don’t wanna undress myself?”

“You will if you want a piece of this.” Mallory caressed her toned abdomen with manicured fingers.

Poe growled and did exactly what Mallory desired and made sure to do it exactly how Mallory liked it. There was nothing flashy about it; Poe just slowly took her shirt off, revealing her dark, tempting flesh little by little. Mallory licked her bottom lip, wishing it was Poe’s belly button. Poe shut her eyes and let loose a long exhale as Mallory’s tongue ran across her lip.

“Come on, Poe. You have more to go or we won’t be doing anything,” the redhead pointed out, trying to control her own breathing. She could hardly believe the effect that this young woman had on her. She did not understand it, but did not care. She just wanted Poe and she wanted Poe now.

The artist’s pants were next, unbuttoned slowly and eased down her muscular thighs, dropping down her tight calves and onto the floor. Mallory purred contently, enjoying the show while burning for Poe, even though the younger woman was in the most unflattering underwear ever. Of course, if did not matter since neither of them would be wearing underwear for long.

“Oh, Poe, you have such a hard, soccer body. You gonna give it to me?” the redhead demanded. 

There were a series of nods. “You know I will.”

“Then come on,” the older woman purred.

Poe did not have to be told twice and climbed onto the bed. Mallory greeted the ebony-haired female with her lips while her hands made short work of Poe’s horrendous bra and panties. Poe’s hands caressed and rubbed Mallory, firmly, but not roughly, just like Mallory liked, just like Mallory taught her.

“Get me naked,” Mallory breathed. Her skin was ready to catch fire thanks to Poe’s brilliant hands. She wanted all of Poe’s skin against her own.

Poe nodded, too out of breath to verbally respond. She eased Mallory’s lacy black bra off, revealing sweet, heavy, alabaster breasts and rosy, puckered nipples. She massaged Mallory’s ample cleavage with newly skilled hands, drawing out moans from the redhead. Lips and tongue eventually joined those hands, expertly touching and tasting Mallory.

“Yes, baby. Just like that, just how I like it,” Mallory hissed, holding Poe to her and unconsciously massaging Poe’s scalp.

Poe did not respond, her focus on pleasing Mallory, on devouring Mallory. The redhead clung to the shorter woman like none other. With Poe, it was about Mallory’s pleasure before anything else. Poe was there for her, and happy to be so.

“You are so sweet, so good, just wonderful,” Mallory cooed, running her hands through Poe’s hair.

“That’s how you taste,” Poe whispered before going back to each sensitive mound and peak. She sucked one pink gem into her mouth and rolled it with her tongue before tugging on it with her teeth. Her other hand kneaded and pulled on the opposite globe.

Mallory only moaned, arching for more. The way Poe’s lips and teeth felt on her skin made her body ignite. She managed to keep her eyes open, despite wanting to just be engulfed by the fire caused by her companion. She looked down at Poe, wanting to see how the younger woman looked as she turned Mallory’s body inside out.

Poe continued fondling the redhead, enchanted as far as Mallory could tell. Poe seemed utterly fascinated with Mallory’s breasts and stayed with them longer than most until the older woman began grinding against Poe’s powerful thigh. Poe growled at the feel, biting down on Mallory’s nipple and causing the redhead to cry out in pleasure. Mallory bucked more while tightening her hold on the onyx locks in her hand.

“Fuck,” the older woman grunted, moving more, seeking delicious friction.

Poe slowly responded to the physical request, leaving Mallory’s chest to remove her panties. Mallory kicked the soaked, useless, and possibly ruined, material away and pulled Poe to her before lying down. They kissed as Poe’s hand trailed down Mallory’s quivering form. Mallory cried out and dug into Poe’s shoulders as talented, valuable fingers stroked her with just the right amount of pressure.

“You’re so good, Poe, baby,” Mallory purred, moving her hips to keep the slow pace of Poe’s fingers. 

She liked it slow and steady, which Poe did exceptionally well. She moaned as a calloused finger circled her pleasure center. She leaned down, rewarding Poe with a deep kiss on the lips, exploring every inch of her mouth. She could feel Poe smiling through their kiss, but eventually they had to pull away for air. Her noise level increased as Poe kissed down her neck, long, wet kisses. When the kisses made it to her chest, Mallory cried out again.

“Dammit, your tongue is as great as your fingers,” Mallory hissed, her hips moving faster now and Poe’s fingers maintaining the tempo.

For Mallory, heaven was Poe’s digits and mouth. She moaned loudly as those wonderful fingers slipped inside her and hit her right where she wanted. Poe grunted and bit down on her breast, which only made Mallory more vocal. One hand clung to Poe’s head and the other clutched Poe’s shoulder, trying to pull the younger woman closer, attempting to get more of the artist. Poe nipped and suckled more with each bite of Mallory’s nails, silently begging her for more. 

“You feel so good,” the redhead managed to coo as she felt herself getting closer and closer to the edge.

“You, too,” Poe grunted. “Feels so good.” 

Ecstasy built until all Mallory could feel was the volcanic rapture exploding inside of her. She released a long breath as she contracted around Poe’s talented fingers. She then fell back onto the pillows, needing to catch her breath. The world was out of focus for a long while, but eventually everything came back to her. She chuckled as Poe continued toying with her nipple, flicking the bud with her tongue and tugging on it with her lips. She ran her fingers through Poe’s hair and strangely enough Poe seemed to be falling asleep.

“You want your turn?” Mallory asked curiously. The younger woman did not look like she would last long enough for Mallory to rock her world right now.

Poe shook her head slightly, refusing to let go of the gem in her mouth. “Just keep doing that.”

Mallory nodded and continued rubbing Poe’s head. After a few minutes, Poe was asleep, with Mallory’s nipple still in her mouth. Mallory smiled.

-8-8-8-8- 

Next time: Poe goes to Mallory to talk about a problem and Mallory crosses a line.


	6. A Pocketful of Posies

6: A Pocketful of Posies

Mallory left Poe’s apartment early in the morning, after Poe offered more pickles and cream cheese for breakfast. The redhead looked like she was ready to throw up at the mention of the combination. Poe shrugged it off, but she wished Mallory would stay. Mallory did throw her a bone, mentioning lunch for the following day at the same restaurant that they had gone to earlier. The offer got a bright smile out of the artist, which earned her a sweet kiss from the departing redhead.

Poe had her breakfast of pickles and cream cheese, not sure why Mallory thought it was such a problem combination when it tasted okay to her. She went to her canvas, thinking about painting, but then she realized something – she had not called her parents yesterday! She searched the apartment for her phone, finding it squished under the couch. Checking the screen, she saw that she had missed two calls from home and two from each of her parent’s cell phones. She looked to see what day it was and dialed the house.

“Thank goodness, Poe! I thought something happened to you, my little Leonardo!” Rayne declared with a relieved sigh.

“I’m okay, Mom. Sorry I didn’t call last night and I missed your calls. I was hanging out with my … friend.” She figured that she could at least count Mallory as a friend by now. She felt “friend” was not the correct term, though. “Girlfriend” might be reaching too far, even though yesterday felt like a date. _But, you have to ask a person to be your girlfriend, I think_. _If nothing else, you should definitely know if you’re on a date with that person, at least_.

“A lady friend?” Rayne asked with interest.

Poe blushed. “Yes, a lady, but it’s not serious! We’re just friends. Totally friends.” 

Rayne chuckled. “Your dad thought you might be with a girl and that was the only thing that kept me from calling the police. I thought something horrible had happened to you!”

The declaration made her smile. She did not like that she worried her mother, but it felt good that someone cared enough to worry. _I wonder if Mallory would care if she couldn’t get in contact with me. I’d worry if I couldn’t get in contact with her … not that I can really get in contact with her now. Hell, can she get in contact with me? We just kinda keep running into each other. While it’s on purpose, it takes some luck, too_. She shook away those thoughts, remembering that she had to say something to her mother.

“You don’t have to be that extreme, Mom. I can take care of myself,” Poe reminded her mother. Growing up the way that she had, she had to learn early to take care of herself or she would have died along time ago, either by her hand or someone else’s fist. Her parents had only added to her ability by suggesting formal martial arts training. They had also taught her to take better care of her emotional self, so she liked to think that she was now capable of handling anything life threw at her. 

“I know you can, but I’m your mother and I reserve the right to worry my little heart out over you, especially when you don’t answer my calls and you don’t hold your pattern of calling us. So, tell me about this girl and what you did with her to miss my calls?” There was a hint of teasing in her mother’s voice, but there was hope above all other things.

Poe scratched her head, wishing her mother would just leave it alone for the most part. Thankfully, she did not have anything to really get her mother’s hopes up. “We just hung out. We went to lunch, the movies, and dinner. She came back to my apartment to see some of my paintings.”

“Back to your place to see paintings? I thought you said it wasn’t serious!” Rayne accused her.

“Mom! She was seriously looking at my paintings! Nothing serious!” She had learned that her view of sex and parents’ view were different, but they all did agree that sex did not mean that a relationship was there.

Her mother scoffed. “Poe, how often do you actually invite women to your place?”

“Most of the time I can’t talk to a girl long enough to get her name, so you know I almost never have women in my apartment.”

“My point exactly! This woman speaks your language. You were able to do so many things with her while you barely can get a name out of a girl usually. I hope you scoop her up. This would be so much easier if you liked guys. They could romance you, but you need to do the romancing here.”

“Mom! She’s just a friend!” _Well, maybe. I mean, it was kind of a date last night. Would she let me romance her? Do I even know how to romance if allowed to do it?_ Poe scratched her in thought.

“A friend you brought up to your apartment after spending a lot of time with her, so clearly there is something there. You should go for it, little Leonardo!” her mother practically cheered for her.

“Mom, it’s not like that! Besides, I don’t think she likes me beyond a friend,” Poe argued. _Mallory obviously likes being around me, but that doesn’t mean she wants to date me or anybody for that matter. Hell, would I want to date a call girl?_

“Do you like her?” 

“Well, yeah.”

“In the same way you like Nadi?” her mother inquired.

Poe’s face twisted in disgust and she was more than happy that her mother could not see. “No! But, we don’t have to like people the same for them to all be friends. Mom, just let me handle this, okay? If it turns out there’s something more here, you’ll be the first person I tell.”

“All right.”

“So, what have you guys been up to?” Poe asked, desperately wanting to get the conversation off of her.

“The usual. Your father is working with a wonderful set of students that he wants you to come talk to if you ever get the time.”

“I always have time for Dad. He’s Dad, after all. Tell him I’m there.” 

Rayne chuckled. “Of course.”

“What about your group, Mom?”

“I’m enjoying them, of course. They’re a younger set than I usually work with, but just as capable. We’re all having fun and I’m learning things from them. You’ll have to come to one of the shows at the end of the summer.”

“I’m all over that.”

Rayne laughed again and then Poe could hear commotion over the line. “Poe, please, talk to your brother before he tackles me for the phone.” Calvin was probably crawling all over their mother.

Poe laughed now. “Sure thing, Mom. Talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“Poe!” Calvin shrieked as he got on the line. “Poe, do the bears got you? I’ll come save you!” he howled.

“Cal, what is with you and the bears?” she asked quite seriously.

“The bears don’t have you? The wolves then! Wolves are sneakier than bears!” the boy proclaimed.

“Neither of them have me, Calvin. I’m fine.”

“You can’t be fine! You didn’t answer the phone when Mom and Dad called and you didn’t call us!”

“I know. I’m sorry, pal. I was spending time with my friend.”

“Nadi?” he guessed.

“No.”

“Justin?” 

“No.”

He gasped. “You have new friends?” he practically shouted it to the mountains.

“Yes, I have a new friend.” An embarrassed blush invaded her face. Her little brother should not be so shocked and awed that she had somehow managed to make more than two friends in her life.

“Is she nice?” he asked eagerly.

Poe had to think on that for a moment. “She’s nice to me.”

“That’s good. You should have more friends, Poe. Friends are great. I have a ton of friends at school.” He then proceeded to tell her about his tons of friends in great detail, which she did not mind.

Poe smiled through the whole conversation with Calvin, even though she did not get to do much talking. They had to hang up because her parents and brothers had things planned for the day, including work. As she disconnected the call, Poe could not help smiling at the thought of her family.

“I want to make them proud of me,” she whispered and then shook that away. “Well, time to put some work in.”

Poe picked up her laptop and began writing. She smiled as the words flowed from her to the story. She considered that she might be done ahead of schedule if things kept at the pace that they were going. _Won’t my editor be surprised!_

She spent the day writing, pausing only to eat and call her friends to check in with them. They were surprised and happy to hear from her, but they did not talk long as she wanted to continue her work. The day seemed to fly by and she was grateful for that as it meant that lunch with Mallory was that much closer. She crawled into bed late that night having completed another ~~a~~ chapter in her book. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face and anticipation dancing in her belly.

Poe awoke and immediately checked her phone to see the time. She was relieved that she had not overslept and missed lunch with Mallory. In fact, she had several hours to kill before she needed to be at the restaurant. She tried to spend that time writing, but found it impossible. What had been anticipation the night before suddenly felt like anxiety.

“Why am I nervous? This is just Mallory. Lunch with Mallory. Nothing big. We hang out all the time,” she said to the air while tapping a pen against the coffee table. Her other hand rubbed her forehead. 

Taking a breath, she tried to gather herself, but found the unease crawling up her stomach and burying itself in her chest. She blamed her mother for putting strange thoughts in her head about dating Mallory. _Date. This is NOT a date_. She and Mallory were good friends, yet she found herself searching for the perfect outfit, something that would catch Mallory’s attention. When she realized what she was doing, she stopped herself.

“It’s just Mallory, dammit. Grab a t-shirt and some jeans and move the fuck on,” Poe ordered herself.

Eventually, she listened to herself and grabbed one of her favorite soccer jerseys and some jeans. She busied herself with her paints, just thinking about mixing colors and organizing them, until it was time for lunch. She managed to leave the apartment quite normally.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory was sitting at a table by the time Poe arrived. She was not surprised by Poe’s slight tardiness. Honestly, she would not have been surprised if Poe forgot about lunch. She would not have held it against Poe, knowing how the adorable artist could be. Hell, she probably would have rewarded Poe for such a thing.

“Am I late?” Poe asked as she sat down.

“Not at all. You’re here, so you’re right on time. Sit.” Mallory motioned to the chair across from her. “Did you get caught up painting?”

Poe shook her head. “No, I was trying to write.”

“Oh. I still want to read your work. Maybe I’ll start with your autobiography. I can learn more about you.” She flashed Poe a teasing smile.

“That’s not fair. I can’t read a book about your life and learn more about you,” the younger woman argued.

“Well, now you know not to write a biography,” the redhead taunted Poe, continuing to smile broadly at her.

Brown eyes rolled and she offered Mallory a smirk. “Fine. Whatever. The book only goes up to me at twelve anyway. I’ve changed in the past eight years.”

“I should hope so. God forbid anyone was the same at twenty as they were at twelve. I have to remember to buy the book.”

Poe scratched her chin. “I think I have a copy … somewhere.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t have one.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Considering the fact that you paint, but you don’t have a single one of your pieces hanging in your own apartment, I suspect somewhere along the line, you stopped valuing your own artistic achievements and work.” Despite Poe’s adoptive parents doing an obviously good job at keeping her together, there were still some cracks in the author that appeared in her life.

Poe scrunched up her face. “Are you sure you weren’t a psych major?”

Mallory chuckled. “No, but in my line of work, it’s good to be able to read people and understand them. It helps you give people what they need along with what they want to get them to come back for more. It can also help save your life if you end up with someone who smells like trouble. I can’t turn it off now.” 

Poe nodded. “Makes sense. I feel like I should’ve picked up a skill like that in foster care.”

“I’m sure some foster kids do, but you seem to have picked up a different defense mechanism,” the redhead replied. She had noted a while ago that Poe had gone with the “suspect everyone” philosophy that probably had saved her life more times than either of them would ever known.

“Like what?” 

“Trust no one, for starters.” 

Poe opened her mouth, but Mallory could not tell if it was to object or agree. Their waiter coming over to take their orders interrupted their conversation. They ordered drinks and food before turning their attention back to each other. Poe rubbed her head and Mallory wondered if she was about to blurt out something inappropriate. The younger woman opened her mouth again, but thought better of it and remained silent. 

“What’s going through your head?” Mallory inquired with a smile. 

“Just wondering why I never did put any of my own paintings up. I mean, it’s weird, right? I know my stuff is worthwhile. Hell, you should see what people pay for some of my work.” 

“So, you want an unofficial psych evaluation?” Mallory teased. 

“No … I don’t. I think I’d rather I sort through it on my own. Sort through me on my own.” 

“You sure?” Mallory did not want to tell the younger woman that she suspected those were other defense mechanisms that Poe had worked out for herself, self-reliance and the desire to keep people from getting close to her, mentally and emotionally. Of course, she would have added physically, but she learned that Poe just needed to be comfortable around people for them to touch her physically. She was not sure what one needed to do to get close to Poe mentally and emotionally, though, short of adopting her.

Poe nodded. “So, we gonna do something after lunch?” 

“I thought we’d go see what’s going on in the park.” 

The plan appealed to Poe if the bright smile meant anything. Poe clearly liked the park and Mallory wondered why. From what she knew about the artist, she seemed to prefer staying inside more than anything else. She decided to not analyze it because Poe did not seem to like that. She would respect Poe’s privacy. Besides, Poe was not some “date” for her to try to figure out. She did not need return business from the artist. 

“I think they’re doing something there today,” the ebony-haired female offered, trying to make small talk despite how bad they both knew she was at it. 

“They’re almost always doing something there. Hopefully, whatever they’re doing isn’t for little kids since it’s the summer,” Mallory said.

The park tended to get kid-friendly in the summer, but they wandered into an event that appeared to be geared toward all ages – motorized boat racing. Neither Mallory nor Poe were very interested, but they were both surprised by the size of the crowd watching the races on the glistening, sapphire pond. They stood there for a few moments, taking in the scene. 

“You think they buy or build those boats,” Poe wondered aloud.

“Probably both, but let’s ask,” Mallory replied. She spotted someone that looked official and he confirmed that the boats were both made and purchased.

“It’s cool that they build them,” Poe said.

Mallory only nodded because she really did not care. Poe seemed to be impressed with any type of work done by hand. She supposed that was the artist in Poe. They continued on through the park and spotted some mimes. They paused just out of curiosity. They found that they were not as entertained as the rest of the crowd. Pressing on, they wandered the park without finding much to keep their attention.

“I guess this was the wrong day for the park,” Mallory chuckled.

“Nah, it’s nice to get out and it’s nice to share this with someone,” Poe replied with a smile.

Mallory smiled in return. “Yeah, the company isn’t half bad.”

The pair walked the park for a few hours before ending up at Poe’s apartment. Mallory wanted to read some of Poe’s work. While Poe searched the apartment, the redhead made busy by looking through the paintings again. She could understand how Poe made money off of her paintings because they were beautiful. She could see much of Poe in the work, which was somewhat unnerving because the artwork put her in Poe’s head more than speaking with the ebony-haired girl ever would.

“I don’t know where the book is. I have it on my laptop,” Poe said, turning her computer on.

“That’s fine,” Mallory replied, even though she shook her head. She could not believe how little Poe valued her work as far as keeping track of it.

“Okay. You still want to read my biography?”

“Yes.”

“Here you go.” Poe held up the laptop.

Mallory took the computer and made herself comfortable on the surprisingly soft sofa. Poe got up, moving behind Mallory, who quickly became engrossed in the memoir. Barely a few pages in, she could feel the juvenile voice that the book was written in, which actually made it more powerful. It was a constant reminder that each unhappy event was happening to a child.

“Poe?” the redhead called, glancing behind her for the younger woman. Poe stepped into view, curious brown eyes on her guest. “Come sit with me for a second,” Mallory requested.

Poe walked around the couch, easing down next to Mallory. She had a bowl in her hands filed with what Mallory thought was vanilla ice cream, but upon closer inspection was a bowl of mash potatoes. For some reason, that made sense to Mallory. _It would be too easy for Poe to have a bowl of ice cream, after all_.

Poe cuddled into Mallory without a word between them. The younger woman tucked herself under Mallory’s arm and against her chest. Mallory’s hand went to Poe’s head, running her fingers through silky, obsidian locks. Soon, the empty bowl was on the floor and Poe was asleep. Mallory continued reading, through the entire biography. There were so many parts that caused her chest to tighten and it felt like her ribs were going to cave in. She looked down at the author to remind herself that Poe was fine and everything had turned out all right.

When she was done, Mallory closed the computer and eased off of the couch. She grabbed a blanket off Poe’s bed and used it to cover the writer. She smiled down at the younger woman.

“I’m glad things got better for you and you had the chance to do such wonderful things with your life,” Mallory whispered before kissing Poe’s forehead. Poe smiled in her sleep.

-8-8-8-8-

A frown cut across Poe’s as she read an email from her editor. She slammed her laptop down and growled. Without thinking, Poe went for her phone and yelled when she realized that she did not have the number of the person that she wanted to call.

“Dammit,” she snarled. Her fingers automatically dialed the only place that could comfort her in her time of need.

“Hey, doodle,” her dad answered the house phone. 

“Dad!” she huffed.

“What? Why can’t I call you doodle?” He pretended to whine.

“Because I said so,” she replied with a smile. _I love messing with my dad! I’m so happy he picked up_. She honestly did not have a problem with any of his nicknames for her, viewing them all as terms of endearment, but she liked that he would feign offense when she pretended to be upset.

“But, why? You let your mom call you whatever she wants, but you’re always on my case. You’re so much like your mom,” he said and she could hear his pout in his voice.

She chuckled at him. “Because she’s mom. You know how kids are with their moms.”

“Even though you can’t see, I’m sticking my tongue out at you. But, what’s up, kiddo? Your mom was saying that you have a lady friend,” he teased her by clicking his tongue.

“No! Just no! Do not listen to Mom! Mom is a crazy woman! I have a friend that is a lady, but nothing more than that.”

“That’s not what your mom said,” he hummed. 

“Mom is just wishing aloud. She wants someone to take care of me.”

“I’d like that, too. So, make sure you buy this lady friend some flowers and some chocolate and if necessary you should write her a bunch of love poems. Women love that.”

“Dad, she’s just my friend!”

“You say that now,’’ he laughed.

“She is!” she insisted.

Her father scoffed. “Well, she’d be more if you’d follow my advice and get her some flowers.”

She frowned. “She’s a friend and she doesn’t like me like that. Hell, I don’t like her that way! We’re just friends.”

He snickered. “Whatever you say, doodle. Oh, women love jewelry, too! I know you can afford some nice stuff.”

“Dad!”

“What? Not for her, but in case you meet another woman! You need to know these things! In fact, I should’ve taught you all of this stuff when you were a teen. I should’ve shown you all of the tricks in picking up women.”

She huffed. “Dad, I don’t need you to help me or tell me how to pick up women.”

Another scoff escaped him. “Okay. I’m just trying to be useful. You never want my advice anymore!”

She smiled. “It’s not that I don’t want your advice. I just need to learn on my own how to talk to women. I do want your advice on my story, though. Can I email it to you?”

“You know you can. Send me what you have. Should I be looking for anything?”

“No, just tell me what you think of what I have so far.” She popped open her laptop in order to send the file to her father.

“Send it. I’m curious as to what clever trick Maru will use to get out of the trouble you put her into.”

“Well, you’ll see and you tell me.”

“Okay. Hey, your brother just jumped on me. You want to talk to this apple head?” Nolan asked, laughing.

Poe laughed, too. She could picture her dad ruffling her brother’s hair, like she would do. It was a habit that they both picked up from her mother.

“Sure, put the apple head on.”

She heard the phone being passed along and then suddenly Calvin’s excited voice filled her ears. A smile spread across her face as he chattered on about his day. The storm inside of her calmed and she felt like her entire being relaxed. That did not last long.

“Mom said you have a girlfriend! Are you going to bring her by? I wanna meet her to make sure she’s right for you!” he proclaimed and she could envision him puffing out his chest.

She chuckled. “She’s just my friend, buddy. We’re not dating.”

“But, Mom said you are! I have to meet her to make sure she’s right for you.” 

“Mom is just wishing out loud. Trust me, bud, when I get a girlfriend, you and Mom will be the first to know.”

“Okay. Make sure you get a girlfriend that likes to skate, so we can all going skating together. And make sure she makes you feel happy and she’s nice.”

“I will, bud,” she promised in a low voice. For some reason, she felt both happy and empty. _I have a loving family. They’re great people, they want the best for me, and I couldn’t ask for better family. But … why don’t I feel better?_

Once she hung up with her brother, she found that she still felt like there was a hole inside of her, slowly devouring everything in it’s path. Sighing, she rubbed the center of her chest with one hand and scratched her head with her other hand. The hand on her chest moved to her throat, trying to rub away the burning sensation building there. Of course, that left her chest feeling like acid was welling up in her torso.

“Dammit!” she growled and tore herself the couch. “Need soccer.” Soccer and a quiet place to watch the soccer. And maybe a warm body to hold her and assure her it was not the end of the world. “Hmm … maybe Dad is onto something, if only to show some appreciation …”

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory yawned and resisted the urge to fall out as she exited the elevator. _I can’t wait to hit the pillow_. Stumbling, she made her way to her apartment, only to be greeted by a strange sight. Poe was tucked in by her door, holding a small bouquet of flowers. Briefly, it felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the hallway for some reason. The younger woman had her head down, but slowly turned her attention to Mallory. She offered the redhead a weak, awkward, but adorable smile.

“Uh … hi,” Poe said as she climbed to her feet. She held out the flowers with a trembling hand. They were a pathetic collection of random flowers, none of which included roses, but the sight of them bothered the redhead in more than one way.

“Hi. What are you doing here?” Mallory asked and she wondered if it came out harsher than she meant it to because Poe immediately looked at her feet. “Hey, you wanna watch soccer?” she asked in a gentle tone, wrapping her arm around the smaller woman.

“Yeah,” Poe muttered, eyes still focused on the floor. 

“You have to be quiet. I’m going right to bed.” 

Poe gave an eager nod and Mallory opened the door. Poe went right to the couch, possibly forgetting that she had the flowers in her hand. Mallory did not ask about them as she just wanted to fall out in the bed and she did not like the odd feelings that were wandering through her exhausted mind and body. She would find out about the strange visit once she got up.

Mallory went to bed, not even bothering to shower. Stripping naked, she collapsed onto her firm, king-sized mattress and crawled to rest her head on her pillows. She was asleep within moments.

-8-8-8-8-

Hours later, Mallory woke up and went to take a hot, long shower. She washed her hair for almost the entire shower. She took her time drying her crimson mane and pampered her skin with all sorts of lotions. She then went back to her bedroom to get dressed.

She slipped on a skimpy black and emerald teddy and was not surprised that the house was quiet. She wandered to the living room and was also not surprised to see Poe on the sofa, engrossed in a muted soccer game, quiet as a church mouse. She wasted no time cuddling up to Poe, throwing her arms around the smaller woman.

“You’re up,” Poe pointed out the obvious.

“You’re here,” Mallory countered with a smile. _She’s so damned cute with her awkwardness!_

“You said I could stay. Do you want me to leave?” 

Mallory snickered and pulled Poe close to her. “If I said you could stay, why would I want you to leave?”

Poe shrugged. “I dunno. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be by yourself or something. I tried to be quiet, but I still could’ve woken you up. Did I?” 

“No, you were fine. I woke up on my own. Now, why were you on my doorstep?”

There was another shrug. “I wanted to see … some soccer.”

Mallory suspected there was more to it than that, especially since Poe had had flowers with her, but she knew not to push Poe. The artist would probably clam up on her forever and then her response would be the truth. So, she just accepted that and held onto Poe a bit tighter.

“How long were you out there?” the redhead asked.

“I dunno. A couple of hours. The doorman let me up sometime early in the afternoon.” 

Mallory put her hand on Poe’s stomach and stroked her belly. “Sounds like you were waiting a while. You hungry?”

“Food would be good.”

“You could’ve taken some food from my fridge. You’d be happy to know most of my food complements each other and can be together to form a meal even. You could’ve made a snack.”

Brown eyes gazed down at the floor briefly. “I didn’t know …” 

“Well, now you know. You should’ve gone out to get something to eat while you were waiting. It’s not like it would’ve mattered if you missed me. You could’ve just woken me up. How long were you planning on waiting out there?”

Poe shrugged. “Until you came, I guess.” 

Mallory chuckled and nuzzled Poe’s silky hair. “You really love your soccer, huh?”

“It helps right my world. I dunno. Maybe it’s a way to connect with my dad when he’s not here. I dunno.” 

“Why do you need your world righted?” _Maybe this is why she showed up with flowers. I shouldn’t read too much into that. This is Poe, after all_. That reminder helped set her at ease, but something strange fluttered in her belly just underneath things.

Poe sighed. “It’s not important.” 

“Of course, it’s important. It made you wait outside my apartment for hours.” 

“I’d have called, but I don’t know your phone number.”

Mallory sighed and nuzzled Poe’s hair again. “You’re avoiding. Even if you were able to call me and find out I wasn’t here, you’d have waited for me, I bet. Am I right?”

“Well, yeah. I wanna see soccer.”

“There’s more to it than that, Poe. Tell me what happened. Why do you suddenly need your soccer fix?” she asked in soft tone and she kissed behind Poe’s ear.

Poe made a sound like a deep purr and a groan. It was sexy. Mallory made a mental index of it, wanting to get Poe to make that noise the next time that they were in bed. 

“My editor called me about my book …” Poe started.

“And? Didn’t you finish it on time?” Mallory inquired. 

“I did. My editor … he didn’t like the turn that the story took. I sent it to my dad for his opinion. I don’t think it’s bad.”

“What didn’t he like?” 

“I gave Maru a sidekick.”

“So?”

Poe sighed. “A girl sidekick.”

“I repeat, so?”

“There’s already all of this speculation that Maru is gay and he felt like a female sidekick would only fan the flames and he doesn’t want that. So, he wants me to lose the sidekick. It would change the whole story and Maru doesn’t evolve as a character without the sidekick. I don’t know what to do.”

Mallory’s brow furrowed. “Is the only objection to the sidekick that she makes Maru seem gayer?” 

“No, he doesn’t like the sidekick altogether. He thinks I forced her into the story. I think she fits and supports the story while he thinks I pushed her in there and changed the plot to add her. I don’t want to change the story as it helps set up the next book in the damn series.”

“Then don’t change it.”

“But, I might be wrong. I asked my dad to read it and I’ll see what he thinks. Once I get his opinion, I’ll go from there.” 

Mallory stroked Poe’s hair. “Sounds like you have it all figured out.”

The artist shrugged. “I guess. We’ll see how it turns out. Why were you so tired?” 

“Just one of those days. I was with a client all day. The convention was fine and almost entertaining for the first hour, but by the sixth, I just want out of my shoes. And I hate having to be clients’ mommy once we get to a room. Unfortunately, that seems to be my talent.”

A cute wrinkle appeared on a tan forehead. “Being a mommy? Does it make you not want to be a mommy then?”

Mallory blew out a breath. “I don’t want to be a mommy to an adult, especially not for twelve hours. It also blows my mind at the number of people that want to fuck women like their mothers. Now, I love my mother, but not in a manner that makes me want to sleep with someone like her. Hell, I even love tits and puss as much as the next sexually healthy human being, but I don’t want the person they’re connected to be anything like my mother. I’d be waiting for her to tell me to clean my room.”

Poe snickered. “That would be weird role playing.” 

“Yeah, we’re never doing that, just so you know.”

Poe laughed more, so Mallory laughed, too. As they settled, Mallory adjusted herself, so that Poe was resting against her chest. Almond-shaped eyes drifted back to the television, focusing on her precious soccer. Mallory smiled and kissed the top of Poe’s head. _Bless her heart. She doesn’t even realize she’s resting against satin and perky tits_.

Mallory busied herself by running her finger up and down Poe’s neck. The artist did not say anything, but she tilted her head and gave the redhead better access. Mallory suspected the movement was unconscious because Poe was very into her soccer game.

“I’m going to order lunch. Wait, is it lunchtime?” Mallory craned her neck to check the time on the cable box. “Damn, almost dinnertime. I slept too long. What do you want to eat?” Blue eyes glanced down at Poe and they both laughed. “Why am I even asking you? I could cut up cardboard and you’d eat it with fucking pickles.”

“Cardboard sounds more like a ketchup thing.” 

The redhead laughed and she kissed the top of Poe’s head. Reaching for her cell phone, she put in a call for takeout, not bothering to ask her guest what she wanted. The food arrived almost an hour later and as Mallory went to answer the door, she found out what happened to Poe’s sad, little bouquet. They were sitting on the kitchen counter in one of her champagne flutes, which she supposed was the closest thing Poe could find to a vase in her home. The sight put a smile on her face and caused another strange flutter; this time in her chest. 

They ate dinner on the sofa, so that Poe could still see her game. For dinner, Poe shifted her attention to her food mostly, only glancing at the TV when it sounded like something exciting was going on. After the meal, Poe’s attention went right back to the soccer game.

Mallory sighed and busied herself with cleaning up. When she returned to the couch, she then busied herself with caressing Poe’s abdomen under her shirt. Naturally, her hand inched its way up to Poe’s breasts. She kneaded the handful of lovely, youthful boob. She was amazed that Poe did not react. She took that as a challenge and she liked a challenge.

The redhead licked and nipped Poe’s little ear while rolling her nipple. The feel of the small, plump flesh rising under her fingertips caused her to purr. Her other hand snaked into Poe’s pants. 

“I’m sick of soccer, Poe. Let’s go to bed. I wanna ride you,” Mallory whispered. Poe cooed and pushed her hips up to meet the redhead’s hand. Mallory smiled. “You’d like that, right, Poe? Me moving on top of you? My body getting all sweaty, my breasts bouncing in front of your face?” Thinking about it, Mallory almost groaned, but she knew that would ruin the spell that she cast on the younger woman. She knew that Poe enjoyed the enchantment, even if she never said anything and she did not want to spoil that.

Poe moaned and nodded. “Y-yes,” she managed to whisper. 

“Good girl for answering. I’d hate to have to spank you. Well … maybe not hate. Your ass is precious when it’s just a little red, makes me want to bite it like an apple. I could ride you and pop you a couple of times with the crop?” She wiggled her tongue in Poe’s ear.

Poe whimpered. “You could …”

Mallory groaned at the thought. It had taken a lot of work to get Poe to accept spankings and she understood why after reading Poe’s biography. Poe took a little sting and nothing more. In fact, Mallory had never been with someone that used a safe word so often. Yet, the thought of just giving Poe a little made her ache more than giving a lot to anyone else ever did. 

“If you’re really good, I’ll let you come in my mouth with my tongue inside you. You like that, right?”

Poe nodded. “I do …” 

“So, you’ll be a good girl?” She pressed her fingers against Poe, if only to disrupt the artist’s already limited thought process.

Another whimper escaped the younger woman.  “Uh-huh.”

“Then turn off the TV and take me to bed.”

Poe nodded and quickly reached for the remote to turn off the television. She rushed up, which actually cost her the joy of having Mallory’s hand inside of her pants, but she did not seem to notice. Her eyes fell onto Mallory and opened as wide as they could. Her mouth dropped open as she took in the sight of the redhead. Mallory smirked and put her hand out for Poe to help her up, which Poe wasted no time doing.

“Were you always wearing that?” Poe asked curiously.

“Of course, but you thought soccer was more important than noticing my choice of outfit. Only bad girls think soccer is more important than I am, so you have to get popped. Understood?”

Poe whimpered and nodded. Mallory smirked and began walking toward the bedroom. Poe trotted behind her as if she was completely and utterly mesmerized by the sway of Mallory’s hips.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe woke up and felt ecstasy still dancing at the edge of her nerve endings. The scent of she and Mallory still hung in the air and she swore that she could still taste Mallory on the tip of her tongue. Letting out a low, long breath, she sat up. She went to rub her eyes and found that she could not move one hand. Glancing up, she saw that her right arm was handcuffed to the bed. _That explains why I can’t feel my arm_. Groaning, she turned to Mallory, who was asleep.

“Mallory,” Poe whispered, almost like she did not wish to rouse the sleeping redhead. 

Mallory groaned. “Sleep, Poe.”

“No, awake. You left me cuffed.”

“Wha?”

“You left me cuffed. I wanna get up, but I’m stuck.”

“Stuck?” Despite the echo, Mallory sounded more awake and aware.

“I’m still cuffed.”

“Cuffed? Oh, shit! I left you cuffed. Sorry. Can you still feel your arm?” Mallory shot up to get the key. She quickly released Poe before falling back down on her pillow.

“I’ve got the tingles in my arm,” the younger woman replied as Mallory tried to pull her closer and settle down for sleep again. She resisted.

Blue eyes blinked. “What are you doing? Lie down.”

“I think I’m gonna go home.”

“It’s not because I left you cuffed, right? I know you didn’t like it at first and you only tried it for me, but I didn’t mean to leave you cuffed.”

There was a panic in those sapphire eyes that touched Poe in some way that she could not categorize. She gave Mallory a smile, making sure the older woman understood that she did not do anything wrong. Yes, Poe had had a lot of sexual hangups, and bondage was a big one of them, but that was not why she was leaving.

“I know you didn’t mean to do it. It was a mistake and I don’t mind just having one arm cuffed now. I’m gonna home, though. I’m feeling better. Maybe I can fix parts of the novel,” Poe replied. She felt centered for some reason and now she could objectively look at the story to see what she could change.

Mallory moaned and hugged Poe around the waist. “Okay. Good luck.”

Poe smiled and leaned down to give Mallory her goodbye kiss. The redhead smiled and then sighed as she closed her eyes to go back to sleep. Poe got up and got dressed. She was about to leave when Mallory suddenly shot up from the bed.

“Wait, Poe,” Mallory called. “Come here.”

Poe obeyed and went to the redhead. Mallory reached for a pen and took Poe’s arm. She wrote down a number on Poe’s forearm.

“So, you don’t have to wait in the hall next time,” Mallory explained.

Poe grinned. “Okay.” She leaned down and gave Mallory another kiss before leaving, much more thorough than the other kiss. In the hall, under the bright lights, she stared down at the bold, black lines on her arm. Her heart fluttered as she quickly committed the number to memory.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory sighed as she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom and mentally scolded herself. She had just broken a cardinal rule of her profession. She was not supposed to give her personal number out, but she had gone beyond that with Poe anyway.

“Well, she already knows where I live and she’s not really a client. We only went on one date,” Mallory pointed out and that was good enough for her. She was able to fall back asleep.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: there’s a party and Poe invites Mallory.


	7. Date Night?

7: Date Night?

Poe worked on her novel, going over parts that she felt fine with changing. She got an email from her dad about the story not too long ago. He actually enjoyed the sidekick and listed almost a dozen reasons why she should stay in the story. Reading his email made Poe check her phone, suspecting correctly that he had called her before sending the email. He preferred the phone to email, but he accepted that an email could always be read at the earliest convenience while sometimes a phone call just could not be answered.

She returned the call. “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, Poe. Good to hear from you. I can tell your mom you’re not lying in a ditch. Can you just admit to her you have a girlfriend?” Nolan asked with a sigh.

She balked. “I don’t have a girlfriend, though. I can’t lie to Mom!”

“Well, Nadi called your mom and added to her worry. Nadi says she hasn’t spoken to you in a couple of weeks and she went by your place, but you weren’t home. She thought you came home.”

Poe sighed and shook her head. “Two worrywarts working each other up. I’ll call Nadi later. I don’t have a girlfriend, though. I made a friend and I’ve been hanging out with her.” She felt a blush burning her cheeks for some reason. She missed a lot of phone calls while at Mallory’s place and never thought to check her phone afterwards.

“Hey, I know how it is when you get a girlfriend.”

“Dad!”

He laughed. “Okay, you don’t have a girlfriend. Let’s talk about the book. I like the sidekick. She’s a hoot. A nice balance to Maru’s constant seriousness and someone to remind the reader that Maru is human, a very lonely and serious human. I do think you should dial her down a notch because she changes the tone of the book too drastically. You can use her at full strength in the next book.”

Poe nodded. “Okay, that sounds good, but my editor thinks I should lose the sidekick altogether.”

Nolan scoffed. “He’s an idiot. The sidekick is hilarious! She brings a nice spark to Maru’s existence.”

“Well, my editor thinks the sidekick will make more people think Maru is gay and he wants the series to stay mainstream.” 

“Oh, he’s full of shit! Just because Maru has a female sidekick doesn’t make her a lesbian. If it was up to this guy, I’m guessing Batman never would’ve had Robin. Besides, it’s not like you’re going to put romance into the stories. You’ve had Maru flirt with a princess or two, but nothing serious. Hell, Maru didn’t even realize she was flirting because she’s so damn serious all of the time.”

“I think he thinks I’m eventually going to out Maru, but I’m really not interested in doing that. I don’t even know if Maru is gay. It’s not important to any stories I have planned for her.”

“Did you explain that to him?” he asked curiously.

“Uh … I don’t think I said it like that,” she admitted. She had mostly listened to her editor grip and then she cursed him out before hanging up.

“I’m sure you didn’t. You don’t typically do much explaining when someone is talking at you. Call the guy and explain the whole thing because the sidekick needs to stay. She simply makes the story better.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Dad. I really needed to hear that. I needed a second opinion.”

He chuckled. “Anytime, kiddo. I’m more than happy to be of service. Now, call Nadi and let her know about your not-girlfriend. You have to be aware of the people that care about you and how crazy they can be.”

She laughed. “I know, I know. I’m kinda mixed up right now with this new friend and this book and I only just got my painting muse back. It’s so much to keep up with and I’m doing a really poor job of it right now.” At the best of times, she could only keep track of her arts and her family. Nadi and Justin tended to keep up with her more than she did with them, but now throwing Mallory into the mix, an overflow of creativity, and her editor breathing down her neck, and Poe was surprised her head did not explode.

“You’ll work it out. Sounds like you have more going on than you’re used to. You just need to get used to it and understand where everything goes in this new, busier world of yours.”

She nodded, forgetting that he could not see her. “You’re really smart, Dad.”

He chuckled. “I like to think I am. But, you are too, so you’ll be able to sort yourself out. Now, call your friend.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And then, call your editor.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Love you, kid.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

Poe sighed as she disconnected the phone call and scratched her head. She had not realized that she had not spoken to Nadi in two weeks. She wondered if it had been that long since she saw her best friend. _I’m a horrible friend_. She dialed Nadi. 

“Poe, where the hell have you been? I was ready to report you missing!” Nadi shouted into the phone. Through the fury, Poe could hear a little quiver in her best friend’s voice, as if the dancer was on the verge of tears. The artist did not deal with crying well, but Nadi would never deign to weep while she was so outraged.

“Sorry, sorry. I just have a lot going on right now,” Poe replied cryptically.

“Since when? Your mom already told me that you probably have a girlfriend. I can’t believe you actually managed to get a girlfriend on your own. I can only imagine she finds your awkwardness cute.” The sneer on Nadi’s face was so clear in her tone that Poe could see it in front of her face.

“I am not awkward and she’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a friend,” Poe huffed.

Nadi laughed. “Even if that’s the truth, it’s amazing you made a friend on your own. You didn’t punch her, did you?”

“No! … Although I might’ve been really rude to her when we met.”

There was more laughter. “Of course, because you can’t meet someone normally. Are you going to bring her to the party, so Justin and I can meet her?”

“Party?” Poe wracked her brain for what party her friend was talking about.

A tired sigh escaped Nadi. “This is why I try to keep up with you and you shouldn’t ever go AWOL. We have a party tomorrow, my dear.”

“One of your parties?”

“Yes, so dress up, for heaven’s sake. Try to be on time, too. People might think your quirks are cute now, but they’re going to wear thin eventually, so show some class for once. At least it’ll surprise some people and they might commission you for some work.”

Poe groaned. “I look stupid when I dress up.”

“You look even stupider when you show up to an elegant party dressed like a damn panhandler. And, you know people know you’re with me, so you’re making me look bad. I don’t like looking bad.” 

“Yet you always drag me to these things.” She knew Nadi was trying to help her by bringing her to parties. Nadi wanted her to meet someone special and also to sell paintings. But, Nadi also had to complain because that was part of her personality. It was nothing really personal towards Poe.

“Because someone has to make sure you get out of your damned apartment every now and then. You need to socialize and become civilized. Now, make sure you’re at the party tomorrow. I’m going to text you all of the information. Text me back when you get it to tell me you got it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m serious. Don’t wander off and start painting, or writing, or eating peanut butter and marshmallows. Understood?”

“Yeah, I’m not a baby.”

“I know you’re not, but you live in your own little world. I want you out in the real world every now and then, so we don’t have to fit you for straitjacket. I don’t need you peeling your wallpaper off.”

“I don’t have wallpaper.”

Nadi sighed. “I know you’re doing this to be annoying and it’s working like it always does, but you still have to come to the party. Got it?”

Poe sighed again. “I got it.”

“Okay, text me once you get the information. If you don’t text me, I swear, I’m coming to your apartment and I’m beating you to death with your laptop. Be at the party on time and dressed appropriately, for heaven’s sake. See you later.”

“See you later.”

Poe hung up and sighed again, scratching her head. She waited for the text from Nadi while trying to focus on her novel. She shook that away as she remembered that she had to contact her editor. Her thoughts were drawn from that as her phone alerted her to a new text message. She texted Nadi back to let her know that she got the information.

“So much to do,” Poe groaned, rubbing her head, which was swimming now.

Taking a moment to gather herself, Poe listed what she needed to do in her mind and then got started. First, she called her editor to let him know that the sidekick would be staying in the story. She would tone her down some, but she refused to get rid of a character just because some people might think Maru was a lesbian. Besides, she did not see anything wrong with being a lesbian anyway.

Her editor began stammering. “I don’t mean to suggest there is anything wrong with being a lesbian!” Not only was he being politically correct, but she was out and he did not want to insult one of the company’s best authors.

“I’m sure you don’t, but it doesn’t come off that way when you act like the world will end if people think Maru is gay. Most people think that anyway and they still buy the books. Besides, she might actually be gay. I don’t know yet.”

He made a noise that she did not know how to classify. It might have been a groan. “That could hurt book sales. You know mostly teens and such read the books. It’s less likely their parents will let them if the main character is a lesbian.”

Poe scoffed. “Parents hating it would make kids want to read it more. Besides, it’s not like a book costs a bunch of money. They’re easy for kids to buy, even easier with ebooks. You’re making a big deal about nothing.”

A long sigh echoed through the phone. “I hope you’re right. No point in going through all of this trouble only to have the publisher decide he doesn’t like it.”

“He doesn’t seem to have a problem with Maru being an assumed lesbian. No one has said anything to me about her being a lesbian, actually. You didn’t even care until now.”

“You’re right, you’re right. All right. Make the changes you want to and then send it to me. From what I could tell, it doesn’t need that much work beyond the sidekick making Maru seem gayer than before.”

“Okay then. Talk to you later.”

Poe sighed and dropped her phone, glad that was out of the way. She went to get something to eat before tackling anything else. She grabbed an apple and some macaroni salad, eating those on the couch as she went through her novel. She used a notepad to keep track of things that she could and would change, as well as jotting down ideas that she might be able to make use of in the rewrite. She wanted to make sure everything made sense before she began seriously writing.

Eventually, she finished eating and focused just on her novel. When she felt hungry again, she checked her phone to see how much time had passed and realized that she had been working for hours. Scratching her head, she did not think much of it, but she remembered Nadi’s party.

“I wonder if Mallory will go with me. I bet it would shock the hell out of Nadi if I had a date and I wouldn’t have to worry about her trying to set me up with anyone. Hell, I might actually have a good time if Mallory’s with me!” The thought brought a bright smile to her face.

She pressed Mallory’s name in her contact information and placed the call. It took a few rings before the redhead picked and she sounded confused when she demanded, “Who is this?”

A lump formed in the artist’s throat and she had to swallow it down before she could respond. “Poe.”

“Oh, hey, Poe. Are you okay?” Mallory’s tone was softer now and it helped set Poe at ease.

“I’m fine. You?”

“I’ve had worse days. I’d rather be home, but that’s typical. You’re not sitting outside my door right now by any chance?”

“No, I’m at home. I’m not calling because I’m thinking about your place or anything. I wanted to know if you want to go to a party with me,” Poe requested in her own unique way. She sounded like she was making an offer more than anything else.

“What kind of party?”

Poe shrugged and scratched her chin. “I dunno. It’s at The Mar. Last time I went they had really good chicken.”

Mallory sounded like she choked on something. She coughed and had to take a few breaths. “It’s at The Mar? You’ve been there before?”

“Yeah, a couple of times. My best friend Nadi, she’s a dancer and the producers of the show she’s in are trying to create a buzz and hopefully get money for other projects, so they put together this thing.”

“Okay, what does that have to do with you, though?”

“Nadi always takes me to parties. She helps me get commissions and stuff.”

Mallory scoffed. “I could do that.” There was something in her tone that Poe could not entirely place, but she did bother to try.

“Well, I figured we could hang out.”

“I’m sure we could, but you’ll have to pay me for it.”

Poe could not hold back to the stunned gasp that escaped her throat. All this time she thought that she and Mallory were friends, but a friend would not charge her to hang out. _Am I still just a client to her?_ Her heart clenched at the thought and breathing became much more difficult.

“I have a date tomorrow,” Mallory said.

“Oh.” Poe was certain one word should not sound so heartbroken. She was also certain that she should not feel as if her her guts had tumbled out of her abdomen.

“I’ll cancel it to go to this thing with you. But, my boss is still going to expect her cut.”

“I can’t afford …”

“Poe, it’s not that much. You’re not paying for me. You’re just paying twenty percent. Can you afford that?”

“Oh.” And suddenly the world did not seem so dark and bleak. “I should be able to handle that. You have to give twenty percent to your boss?” Poe asked curiously.

“It’s a hefty fee, but for the most part, she brings good clients my way and, typically, I’m safe with the clients that she offers me. Every now and then a crazy person sneaks in, but most people don’t want to fuck with that crazy Russian bitch.”

The younger woman scratched her head. “Sounds like I better pay then. I don’t wanna hafta deal with a crazy lady if I can help it.”

Mallory laughed. “Wise decision, although I think one on one, you might be able to take her. So, what should I wear?”

“I dunno. Something nice, I guess.”

“You know what, what are you wearing? I should coordinate with you.”

That statement threw Poe a bit. She could not figure out why Mallory should coordinate with her, but she had learned that sometimes it was better to not ask questions. “I’m probably just going to wear jeans or something.”

“You will not! I refuse to go to the Mar with you in jeans!” the redhead practically hollered. Poe hoped Mallory was not somewhere crowded because people would definitely stare.

Poe’s face fell. “I always wear jeans. Usually it’s because I forget there’s a party and I don’t want to be late.”

“Well, you won’t be doing that this time, so stop pouting. I will not go to an elegant establishment like The Mar with you wearing your usual busted jeans. That’s fine when we go to little family spots or the movies, but not The Mar. You’ve been there before. You should know better, but you are you. Dare I even hope that you have a dress?”

“Uh …” Instinctively, Poe knew better than to answer that question. 

Mallory sighed and the author knew that the older woman was shaking her head. “Why did I even bother to ask you? Of course, you don’t. We’re going shopping tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere with you until we get you the right clothes.”

“I hate shopping,” Poe grumbled. Despite all of the conditions that seemed to come along with Mallory going to the party with her, Poe was still happy that she asked the redhead to go.

“I’m sure if it were art supplies, you’d love shopping. But, the deal is I go with you as long as you’re dressed appropriately.”

Poe grunted. “Does it have to be a dress?”

“Not necessarily, but we may find a dress that suits you, so keep an open mind. What time is the function tomorrow?”

“Eight.”

“Excellent. That gives us plenty of time to find you a decent outfit. And don’t give me this ‘I can’t afford it’ song and dance. You’re a best selling author, dammit. Indulge.”

Poe stammered and puttered in her defense. Her sudden inability to express herself led her to concede. “Okay, fine.”

“Good.” The triumphant smile could be heard in her voice. She rattled off instructions about where and when Poe could meet her for their shopping trip tomorrow.

The younger woman had to dive for her notepad to make sure she got everything down. The last command was for her to give Mallory a goodbye kiss, which confused her for a moment, and then she realized Mallory wanted her to blow a kiss into the phone. She made a loud smooch noise, which made Mallory laugh.

“Thank you, Poe,” the redhead said before hanging up.

Poe smiled _. Okay, Mallory is gonna go with me, but she wants to take me shopping_. Now, she groaned. Underneath that, though, her stomach sort of rolled and twisted. She did her best to ignore it.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory spotted Poe in the crowd, shifting from one foot to the next. She chuckled and slightly shook her head. _Poor thing is actually nervous about shopping_. Poe was so anxious, in fact, that she barely noticed that Mallory was standing right next to her.

“Boo!” Mallory joked and was pleased when Poe did not jump. _She’s partially grounded at least_.

Poe let loose a long exhale and her shoulders relaxed. “I didn’t know if you were gonna come,” she blurted out.

Mallory felt her insides soften and she wrapped a gentle arm around Poe’s broad shoulders. “I’d never stand you up. I did suggest this little soiree. Now, let’s get moving my little chickadee. We need to get me home, so I can change into my sexy dress.”

A cute blush stained Poe’s tan cheeks. “Oh. Uh … okay. I’m following you. Where to first?”

Mallory grinned and took Poe by the hand, pulling her through the congested shopping center. In the back of her mind, she noted how Poe squeezed her just a little when the crowd seemed to get a little too close. Something inside of her became light, but she ignored that and focused on their mission. Poe needed clothes to avoid embarrassing them both at The Mar.

They traveled to a few small boutiques first. Mallory was certain that she had never seen a girl more miserable than Poe in trying on a dress. For a while, she thought Poe had a thing against dresses, but the expression remained when she was trying on pants, shirts, and suits.

“You really do just hate shopping, huh?” Mallory asked as Poe changed into another outfit.

“I just have other things I prefer to do,” Poe grumbled, pulling at the maroon vest that she was wearing that matched her pants.

“Stop tugging.” Mallory lightly slapped the younger woman’s hand. “You look dashing,” she commented as she straightened out the vest and shirt. She turned Poe to the full length mirror.

Poe twisted her mouth up. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do. Are you comfortable?”

Poe shook her head. “Not really. I don’t dress this way.”

“Well, that’s why it’s dressing up. You don’t like dressing up?” She could guess the answer to that one, but considered her young companion might surprise her.

“No.”

Mallory sighed. “I’m not surprised. You look nice dressed up, though. But, if you don’t like it, take it off. We’ll find something that you do like and you do feel comfortable.”

Almond-shaped eyes blinked. “You sure?”

“Yeah, it’s no big deal. But, we can’t do this all day. I do have to go home and change.”

Poe nodded and changed into another outfit. She seemed more relaxed in the next suit, but Mallory could not understand why since it was almost identical to the outfit she just took off. The pants were the same, but the vest was cut lower. It was black, but had a shine to it that was meant to catch the eye. Mallory circled her.

“I think it suits you. What do you think? How does if feel?” the redhead inquired.

Poe rolled her shoulders while staring at her reflection. “It’s okay, I guess.”

“I don’t want okay. I don’t want you to settle. I want you wearing something you’re comfortable in. We’re going to look like a power couple when we walk in. All eyes will be on us,” Mallory declared quite seriously. Her blue eyes were hard as steel, as if trying to force Poe into understanding how magnificent they were going to be.

A light blush colored tan cheeks. “Couple?” Poe practically squeaked the word. She wobbled a bit, but managed to stay on her feet.

Mallory chuckled. “Calm down, Poe. It’s only for one night, but you get to be my legitimate date.”

The blush deepened and Mallory laughed again. They pressed on until they came to a little black dress. Mallory was up as soon as Poe came out of the dressing room, circling like a shark in the water. Poe watched her with a careful eye.

“You should wear this dress. First and foremost, every female on Earth needs a little black dress. Second, you look fucking sexy in it,” Mallory praised the artist. She could already imagine herself ripping Poe out of the damned thing at the end of the night, but she decided not to share that because she doubted that Poe would have been able to handle the information while already so overwhelmed with shopping.

Poe visibly preened at the compliment, smiling slightly as she squared her shoulders and straightened her back. Mallory smiled and just took in the sight. Poe clearly did not wear dresses often just from the way that she stood, but now that her confidence was up, she had the poise to pull off the snug, knee-length gown. Her powerful arms were left on display thanks to the dress being sleeveless and her muscular shoulders were open for touching. _Now, I just need her to stop standing like a boxer posed to attack_.

“Relax,” Mallory whispered into Poe’s ear as she stood behind the younger woman.

Poe practically melted as the redhead lightly fingered her spine. Mallory focused on them both in the mirror, which made Poe do the same. A gentle smile curled onto Mallory’s face and Poe’s eyes seemed to light up.

“You’re so beautiful, my little bohemian.” Mallory placed a gentle kiss to Poe’s ear. She traced small circles at the base of Poe’s spine.

“You think so?” Poe asked, eyes transfixed on their reflection.

“I know and you should, too. You’re so beautiful. So very beautiful. How do you like this dress? Are you comfortable?” the redhead asked and her companion could only nod. “Shall we buy this one then?” Again, Poe nodded and Mallory’s smile grew.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe doubted that she had ever felt as awkward and nervous as she felt sitting next to Mallory in her own black gown. The pair were in a cab, on their way to The Mar, and Poe was not sure if she would make it without throwing up right in the taxi. She kept one fist clenched tightly in her lap while Mallory held her other, lightly, almost tenderly massaging her knuckles. Mallory looked like a goddess with a fiery mane as if she was coming down from the heavens with her sapphire eyes sharp and fierce. She was poised, practically in command. _I can do that, too. Be like that, I mean_.

Taking a deep breath, the artist held her held up high. Mallory smiled at her and her touch became even more gentle, almost intimate. Somehow, things settled in her belly while her guts clinched together. _How the hell does that even work?_

“Are you sure you’re comfortable?” Mallory asked in a gentle tone.

“Yeah. I’m just used to going in jeans … and by myself. This is new,” Poe admitted with a nervous smile.

“It’ll be fine,” the redhead promised. “You look wonderful. We’re a damned good looking pair and everybody is going to want to be us.”

Poe smiled more and her body settled somewhat as the cab pulled up to their destination. She paid the driver and then got out of the car to open Mallory’s door. The redhead smiled and thanked her.  

“My dad showed how to treat a lady. I just forget sometimes,” Poe chuckled as she offered Mallory her hand.

“You’re doing fine,” Mallory assured her as they stepped into the party. Blue eyes surveyed the area like a majestic queen looking out on her kingdom. She made it seem like not only did she belong there, but she owned the placed.

Poe felt the rest of her anxiety melt away as she was in the normalcy of a boring party. She could see that everything was as she thought it would be, even if she was in a dress and even though she did have Mallory on her arm. She straightened up and decided to try to avoid Nadi because she had an inkling that Nadi would make a big deal out of her showing up with someone. She was not sure how she would or should explain Mallory.

“You rub elbows with some high rollers,” Mallory commented with a smile.

Poe shrugged. “Not me. My friend, Nadi. She invites me to help me to get commissions and to try to find me a girlfriend.”

A low growl escaped Mallory, but it was so low and so quick that Poe figured that she misheard. A hand on the small of Poe’s back took her mind off of the sound as Mallory led her deeper into the crowded party. Poe went with the flow.

“I’m sure I can help you gather commissions,” the redhead said with a confident smirk.

Poe shrugged and walked with Mallory, who spoke with an ease that Poe would envy if she had a real interest in connecting with people. _It’s probably a talent that I could use, though. Maybe I can learn if I watch Mallory_.

The artist did not get much of a chance to study the older woman in play because Justin appeared before her. The frown was expected, especially since he was in a tuxedo. But, then his expression turned downright grim. He looked like he walked into a horror movie.

“What the hell are you wearing? If Nadi sees you in a dress, I’ll never be able to wear jeans again! What the hell?” Justin hissed, making tight fists because it would be undignified for him to just throw his arms up and start flailing. 

Poe balked. “What?”

“What? We’re supposed to be in this together. If you start dressing up, Nadi will make me dress up! We …” He motioned between both of them. “We hate dressing up!”

Sighing, she nodded. “I know, but I look good!” she practically chirped proudly. She had not meant to sound so happy about it, but she did look nice and she felt good about it.

Blinking, Justin finally looked at her. “Holy shit, you do look damned good. Wow. But, that’s not the point! We’re a team and you’re hurting the team by voluntarily getting in a dress.” 

“Says the guy wearing a tuxedo with a vest no less!” she countered.

“I was threatened into this!” He pulled at the lapels of his jacket. 

“How do you know I wasn’t threatened into this?”

He blinked again, realizing that was entirely plausible. “Did she threaten to call your mom?”

She shook her head. “She didn’t threaten me. How did she threaten you?” 

Snorting, he scratched his head. “Same threat as always. No sex for a month or the tuxedo. Wasn’t a hard decision, but ‘tis a bitter pill to swallow,” he lamented, drawing a laugh and smile from Poe.

“Sucks for you,” she remarked. “She gets you every time with that. I think you need to call her bluff one day.” 

He scratched his chin in thought briefly. “Maybe. She probably wouldn’t last a week. So, why’d you get all dressed up?”

“That was my doing,” Mallory purred as she eased behind Poe and pulled the younger woman into a light embrace.

Justin’s eyes went wide and he leaned back for a moment, as if he was going to flee the area. But, then he leaned in, as if requiring a closer look. Mallory stepped to the side of Poe and put her arm around the artist’s waist. She pressed Poe closer to her and the author slowly exhaled, content with her place at the moment.

“Poe, you brought a date?” Justin asked, beyond incredulous. He probably would have sooner believed that there was a man in the moon.

“Obviously,” the redhead replied with a sexy grin. 

Now, Poe blinked. _Is this a date?_ It was news to her, but not really. Maybe it was just the shock of hearing Mallory openly admit it in front of people that made her stomach dance a bit.

“Well, I’m Poe’s best friend, Justin Haywood.” He extended his hand. 

Mallory smirked and, for a moment, Poe became extremely nervous. _What if she tells him her name is Scarlet? Then this is nothing more than a job to her. I’m not even her friend then!_

“I’m Mallory. Mallory Glen,” the redhead replied, taking Justin’s hand. They exchanged a brief, but polite shake. 

“Wow, I’m amazed. I don’t think Poe’s ever made a friend without Nadi’s help. Uh … no offense, Poe,” Justin said with a small, apologetic smile.

Poe shrugged. “None taken.” She would never be offended by the truth coming from him.

“Sorry to drag you away, Poe, but there is a gentleman over there that might be interested in commissioning you,” Mallory said while slightly tugging Poe in the direction that she came from. 

Poe moved with Mallory, who introduced the artist to people as if they were old friends. Poe could not believe how easily Mallory blended in with everyone. The redhead spoke with people as if she was the most important person in the room and her skill made Poe feel oddly proud. It also helped Poe get commissions.

Eventually, Poe was separated from Mallory as they both worked the room in their own ways. Poe was mostly lost in conversation with people that seemed to be rotating in and out of her little sphere. She bumped into Nadi, who gasped before grinning. 

“Oh, my god! Justin said you were here with someone, but he didn’t mention you were in a dress! Look at you, looking like a grown up,” Nadi remarked, hugging Poe as if complied to do so by her disbelief.

Poe shrugged to show it was no big deal. “It’s nothing. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Oh, you know I am! When was the last time you wore a dress? Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress.” Nadi’s forehead wrinkled, possibly trying to recall a time when Poe was last in a dress or possibly just baffled by her best friend’s formal wear.

Poe scratched her head. “I don’t think I’ve worn a dress since I’ve known you. Mom never made me or anything. You didn’t make me wear one to Prom.”

Nadi nodded. “Yeah, you didn’t need a dress for Prom. You look gorgeous, though.” She took Poe by the hand and admired her with a pleased smile. “You are so beautiful, Poe.”

“She knows,” Mallory said from behind the artist again. She pressed herself into Poe’s back, rubbing her plush, ample bosom into Poe’s bare shoulders. 

Poe inhaled sharply, feeling a flare in her belly. A slow exhale caused the fire to go down, but not out. It did not help that Mallory put a hand on her elbow and let her fingers dance lightly across sensitive tan flesh. Poe went a little fuzzy, but was able to pick up on Nadi’s gaze sharpening and narrowing.

“I’ve told her that often today and I do tell her that she’s cute much of the time,” Mallory informed Nadi.

Nadi remained tensed. “And who are you?”

“I’m Mallory. You?” In the small part of her brain that remained rational and alert, Poe thought there was some challenge in Mallory’s voice. She wondered why that was.

“Nadira.” The dancer sort of grunted her name out. The sound of her full name brought Poe back into the real world. Nadi rarely gave people full name, unless they were in a professional setting. While they were in such a setting, Nadi was meeting one of Poe’s friends, which had nothing to do with her career. 

“Nadi, Mallory’s the one that got me into the dress. Oh, and she made sure I got here on time,” Poe offered and she could see exact the moment Nadi relaxed.

“Oh, god, please marry Poe,” Nadi begged Mallory. She seemed to be quite serious, too. “Do you cook, too?”

The redhead chuckled and offered Nadi an easy going smile. “I do, but not very often. I do make it a point to feed her, though. I’m assuming she’s like a stray cat since she keeps coming back.”

“You feed her, you keep her. No take-backs,” Nadi joked, but somehow she seemed serious again.

“What, were you Poe’s keeper before I showed up?”

Nadi rolled her eyes. “It’s an unfortunate side effect to being her best friend. Had I only known,” she lamented, shamelessly being melodramatic and throwing the back of her hand up to her forehead. “Alas, she’ll turn my hair gray prematurely.”

Mallory laughed and arched an eyebrow. “You’re not really selling her to me.”

Poe eased away as the pair bantered back and forth with each other. She thought they were getting along well with each other after what seemed like a momentarily rough start. The fact made her smile.

-8-8-8-8-

“Thanks for coming with me,” Poe said as she and Mallory rode to her apartment in a cab.

Mallory held Poe’s hand, gently caressing the knuckles. “No problem. I had a great time. You rub elbows with a surprising crowd.”

“You moved with ease through that crowd.”

A smile graced her creamy features. “I’ve had a lot of practice. Bring me along whenever you want. I’ll help you get commissions.”

“You helped a lot with that, but more …” the younger woman trailed off.

“More? What else did I help with?” Mallory asked with a crimson eyebrow arched in curiosity.

“Well, you’ll probably think it’s silly, but you made me more comfortable. I usually hate these things and I’m always trying to figure out how to escape, which I never do. You made it bearable. I had a lot more patience and was able to talk to more people than I usually would. I never once thought about ducking out of the place.”

The redhead smiled softly. “That’s not silly. I know you like to be quiet and talk at your own pace when you get going.”

A blush colored Poe’s tan cheeks. “Thanks for coming, anyway.” 

“Anytime. I had fun.”

“You did?” 

“I did.” Mallory was silent for a moment. “It’s rare for me to go to something like that and it not be for work. I was able to go at my own pace and I didn’t feel pressure to be perfect, even though I did my best to help you get a commission or two. But, for the most part, I was able to just be myself and enjoy myself.”

“I’m glad.” 

They shared a smile and continued the ride to Poe’s apartment in a comfortable silence. Somehow, it felt like they had just conversed about something beyond the party, but neither mentioned it. Poe was not sure what could be beyond the party, though. _Maybe I’m just tired and it’s nothing_. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: their relationship continues to evolve as they continue doing more and more things together.


	8. Bliss and Dawning

8: Bliss and Dawning 

The phone ringing ripped through the silent apartment. Poe groaned, groping the floor near her side of the bed for her cell phone. She found it close to the head of the futon. Her mind was foggy with sleep, so she could not really focus on the sound from the phone, just that it was going off. She opened her eyes to see who was calling and for a moment all she could see was a blur.

“Hi, Mom,” Poe croaked when things made a little more sense.

“Hey, baby. You sound asleep,” Rayne noted.

“I am.”

“Is there a beautiful redhead next to you?”

Poe groaned again, but checked the other side of the bed. She was not surprised that Mallory was gone. There was a note on her pillow, which Poe quickly read and it put a smile on her face. She then remembered that her mother was on the phone.

“Nadi called you already?”

“Nadi called me last night as she got into a cab to go home. I can’t believe it! I’m so happy for you!” Rayne declared and the artist could hear the grin that was definitely lighting up her mother’s face.

Poe moaned and rubbed her eyes. “Mom, Mallory isn’t my girlfriend. She’s just my friend.”

“That’s not what Nadi said and Justin backed her up. They were talking about how she was quite possessive of you whenever you were close by. Her arm was around your waist or on your back all night. Nadi said she even seemed to glare at her before she knew who Nadi was, as if she were jealous.”

Poe scratched her head. “That doesn’t mean anything.” Mallory could have been putting on a show through force of habit, or the redhead could simply be a bit more touchy when people were around. There were so many explanations for what Nadi saw as far as Poe was concerned.

Rayne chuckled. “All right, you go on and believe that. How was the party?”

“S’okay. I got a few commissions.”

“And had a long night?” her mother teased.

“It wasn’t that long.”

“My little Leonardo, it’s four in the afternoon. If you didn’t have a long night, I’ll have to worry about why you’re sleeping so late.”

Poe rubbed her eyes and then looked at her phone to see the time. It was nearly 4:30 actually. She could not believe that she slept so late. She did not understand why either because yesterday seemed pretty normal to her. _Maybe being so nervous actually exhausted me_.

“Still there, Poe?” Rayne asked.

“Yeah, Mom. Sorry. I was just shocked that it was so late.” _I guess that explains why Mallory said I was dead to the world in her note. I wonder how long she’ll be at the gym._

“Of course, it doesn’t really matter with you as you have no schedule whatsoever. As long as you’re not getting sick or anything.”

“I’m not getting sick, Mom,” she promised because she knew that if she did not nip that in the bud, her mother would then worry about her health.

“Will you be seeing your not-girlfriend today?” Again, the smile could be heard in her voice. She could picture her mom just lighting up the whole house with her expression.

Poe groused. “Mom.”

“I’m just wondering! Poe, you’re so special. I want you to find someone that gets you and realizes how special you are. Nadi and Justin both said that she seemed to get you. She knows how to talk to you and she knows how to let you go when she needs to. She understands that you’re not the average girl and I’m hoping she knows how to cherish you because you’re precious.”

The artist was not sure how to respond to that. She thought on it more than she would like to having just woken up. Mallory did have a way of sliding through her defenses, getting in through any little space that other people found impossible to pass. She was not sure why that was and her brain was too clouded to come up with anything.

“Poe, you know we, your whole family, support you. You don’t have to be shy about having a girlfriend. You know we’d love for you to have a girlfriend to take care of you,” her mother said softly.

A long sigh escaped the younger woman. “I take can of myself, Mom.” 

“I know, Poe. I know, but sometimes I worry. I’m your mother. I’m supposed to worry.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

Rayne laughed. “I wouldn’t be your mother if I didn’t worry. I hope we can meet this girl eventually. I’m sure she’s lovely.”

“She is,” Poe blurted out.

Her mother chuckled again. “I know you’re tired now. I would use your moment of weakness to pry information out of you, but I know you’ll tell me at your own pace. For now, go back to sleep and get as much rest as you need. I hope you take care of your not-girlfriend, too.”

The pair bid each other farewell and Poe snuggled back into her pillow. She read Mallory’s note that promised her return, but that promise was soon to be broken. A text from the redhead ordered Poe into the shower because they would be having an early dinner outside of the apartment. She given instructions on where to go and also what to wear. Poe did as commanded.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory smiled as she caught sight of Poe entering the restaurant. She was happy to see that Poe had worn a snug fitting t-shirt, as Mallory had ordered. She was not sure if Poe would do it or not, but she glad to see that the younger woman had indulged her. _She looks so sexy in that. I might have to jump her the moment we get some place dark even to hide what I’m doing to her_. She licked her lips at the thought and fought down a rush of arousal.

“I’m glad you came, Poe,” the redhead said with a smile. Her eyes shined like the ocean on a sunny day.

The artist sat down. “Well, I gotta eat. Besides, it gives me an excuse to go back to your place and watch soccer.”

Mallory chuckled. “I suppose I should’ve told you to put the dress back on if I had known you had plans to use me for my television.” 

Poe smiled. “I just figured since you said we’d go back to your place, I’d get a chance to watch some TV. And, I wouldn’t have worn the dress again anyway.”

“I know. I’m the one that took it to the cleaners, after all.” She had a feeling that it would never occur to Poe that the dress needed to be dry cleaned.

Poe scratched her head. “I could’ve washed it.”

“It was dry clean only, my little bohemian. Now, let’s just enjoy dinner and maybe go to a movie before we go to my place.”

Poe nodded and Mallory smiled. She was not sure why, but the normalcy of the night sat well with her. On any given night, Mallory could be dining at some of the best restaurants in the world and seeing sights that most people could only dream of seeing, but it all paled to being in a family restaurant with Poe and on their way to a movie afterward. Mallory shook that notion away. She ordered for both of them, knowing that she could. Poe did not object.

“So, did you get any work done while I was gone?” the redhead asked curiously.

“No, my mom called and woke me up and then I tried to go back to sleep until you called and told me about our sudden dinner plans,” Poe replied with a shrug, showing that none of that was a big deal.

“You need time to work, though.”

Poe waved her concern off. “I’ll make time. Don’t worry about me. I know how to make time for my work.”

The redhead shrugged, figuring if Poe knew anything about her life it was how to produce her art. “Have you figured out how to fix your novel?”

Poe nodded. “Yeah, and my editor is fine with the changes, but it doesn’t make my main character look less gay.”

The redhead laughed. “At some point you’re going to have to admit that Maru is a lesbian. Did you have a problem with coming out?”

“Nah. I was nervous, but when I told my parents, they took it like champs. My dad said he always suspected, which is weird because I never really suspected. I just don’t think Maru is gay yet. That’s not going to change anytime soon. For now, she’s just a teenage tomboy.”

Mallory shrugged. “I believe it. My sister was actually like that.”

“The sister that’s married with kids now?”

“Yup. The little tomboy met the man of her dreams. He accepted that she’s not a girly girl and she’s head over heels for him. My whole family was surprised by it because everybody swore that she was a lesbian because before him she didn’t even show an interest in guys. We like surprising each other.”

Poe craned an eyebrow. “They were surprised that you were a lesbian?”

“Whoa. You’re more observant than I gave you credit for it. How did you know?” Mallory asked.

The artist shrugged. “You tend to ogle women when we’re out.”

Mallory made a gagging noise. “I don’t! I don’t even ogle.”

“You do. Don’t worry, you’re not obvious or anything. You don’t do lingering stares or anything.”

The redhead’s mouth dropped open. “I do not. Besides, I’m only, like, eighty-five percent lesbian, which is why I still see men on my day job. When I have my choice, I do tend gravitate women, though, which is odd as I tend to like hard bodies.”

Poe laughed now, but she preened a bit, too. “You like my hard body. You’re always touching it.”

Mallory smiled and leered.”Oh, yeah. My favorite hard body actually. I’m going to be touching it a lot later on actually.”

“After soccer.”

The older woman scoffed. “During soccer. You won’t notice me enjoying your game. History has proven this fact.” She would actually like to be touching it before soccer, possibly in the movie theater if they made it to the showing that she wanted to see.

Now, Poe scoffed. “You think I don’t notice? I’m not made of stone!” She laughed. “And you’re really good at that whole touching thing. I notice, but you let me watch and I let you wander.”

All Mallory could do was smile. She liked the wandering. It helped build her up before she had to take Poe or explode. She was looking forward to that later tonight now. But, first, she still wanted to go to the movies.

When their food was brought to them, Mallory was again struck by how comfortable she was doing something so plain. She was content sitting there with Poe, eating a rather mediocre steak with a baked potato as well as stealing bits of Poe’s chicken, shrimp, and potatoes, and she was looking forward to a movie. It was almost cliche, but nothing pleased her more than that moment. The idea caused a little tumble in her belly, but she was able to shake it away along with those thoughts as Poe began musing aloud about sharing a slice of chocolate cake.

“Sounds like a marvelous idea,” Mallory remarked and Poe smiled.

-8-8-8-8-

The pair ended up back at Mallory’s apartment with soccer playing. Mallory was interested in another game, exploring Poe’s body. She had done plenty of that while they were in the movies, but all that served to do was make her burn to touch the artist even more. She had enjoyed how Poe made almost no noise in the theater and no one guessed what she was doing, even able to bring Poe to a quiet climax halfway through. Now, she wanted more than a silent orgasm, though. She wanted Poe panting, screaming, clinging, and sweating as they moved with intent, but, of course, it would have to wait until after soccer.

Poe’s focus remained on the television as Mallory’s hands and occasionally her lips wandered the author’s form. She gave no indication that she was aware of Mallory’s attention, which enticed the redhead further. _I want her attention. I want her acknowledgment_. A growl escaped her. _I want her_.

Poe jumped unexpectedly and briefly Mallory thought that she succeeded in getting a reaction from the younger woman. And then she noticed the excitement on the television. Apparently, Poe’s team had just tied the game with seconds left. _Dammit, soccer still has her!_  

Mallory snaked her way around, easing her way to the front of Poe. Her hands went under Poe’s t-shirt while her mouth wet precious gems over the shirt. Since those jewels stood at attention, Mallory smiled to herself, knowing that some part of Poe noticed her effort.

“Is this wretched sport over yet?” Mallory asked. “I want nothing more than to tie you to the bed and lick the sweat off of your abs.”

“Overtime,” Poe replied distantly.

Mallory groaned. _I’m offering to bathe her body with my tongue and she’s actually able to pick watching overtime over that? Damn, she’s good and I love it!_ Enjoying the torment made Mallory consider that something might be wrong with her, but she did not care. _I only want this sweet torture_. She kissed her way up Poe’s delicious neck and took gentle nips at her chin. Making her way to Poe’s earlobe, she sucked on it, knowing that it tended to drive the artist crazy. Of course, that generally happened when soccer was not on.

Poe’s breath hitched, but other than that, she did not react. The older woman swallowed hard as the fire blazing in her veins roared higher thanks to that small noise, even though it could have been directed toward what was happening in the game. Her nostrils flared as she began to imagine that she could smell Poe, who kept her eyes glued to the television.

Mallory decided to go all out. She tore Poe’s shirt off and bombarded sweet flesh with her mouth. A little whine escaped Poe, but that was all. She did not even move into the affection. Mallory found herself so enthralled with the wonderful skin that she did not mind the lack of response.

“Fuck it,” Mallory hissed.

The redhead attacked Poe’s pants, pulling them along with her underwear off. While Poe did not make a sound, she did not resist. Her hand went in between Poe’s legs while her mouth reattached itself to a perky brown nipple. She was surprised as Poe spread her legs wider for better access and hugged Mallory closer to her. That action made curious blue eyes look up.

The younger woman smiled. “Game’s over. My team won.”

Mallory smirked. “Now, we both can win.”

“I’ve already won.”

Blue eyes studied Poe for a moment, wondering what the artist meant. She decided that it was not important, not when her fingers were engulfed in warm heaven. Instead, she wrapped her lips around Poe’s nipple again and enjoyed.

Poe let out a long moan and Mallory smiled to herself. The artist slid down on the couch and Mallory moved over her, making sure not to lose the delight in her mouth. Poe held on tight as Mallory worked her magic. Slowly, the redhead pulled away and a disappointed whimper escaped the younger woman.

“Why?” Poe complained.

“I prefer this in the bedroom, where another soccer match can’t suddenly attract your attention and make you forget about more important matters,” the redhead pointed out.

Poe grinned. “Then we better hurry because another match comes on in less than two minutes.”

Mallory growled. “Damn you to Hell, twenty-four hour soccer network.”

The older woman climbed to her feet and pulled the nude artist up. Poe’s chocolate eyes wandered to Mallory’s biceps, watching the muscles strain to pull her up. She licked her lips and Mallory’s knees went weak.

“Let’s go before I fall on the couch,” Mallory whispered as they disappeared into the bedroom.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory was starting to get the idea that Poe had more going on in her life than painting, writing, and soccer because the younger woman invited her to another party. Of course, she did not sound very enthused about it. So, Mallory guessed that it was another formal gala, which was confirmed when Poe told her the venue. _Poor Poe_. Not that Mallory minded. She looked forward to taking Poe shopping again.

“Do we gotta go shopping?” Poe whined, dragging her feet. Mallory had her by the hand and tugged her through the street, which was lined with wonderful shops.

“Yes, we do. You need clothes,’’ Mallory argued.

“But, I have a dress!”

The redhead chuckled and shook her head. _If only she knew that’s not how it works_. “That’s one dress! You can’t live off of one dress, especially since you seem to be an undercover party animal.”

“I’m not and I did fine with no dresses until you!”

“No, you did fine in your own head, but you’re not in the real world, Poe, my dear. I don’t know what crazy, coco world you live in, but here on Earth, wearing busted jeans to a formal party is not fine. Living in your own little world is fine and all, as it allows you to create beautiful art, but not at a fancy shindig. You have to step into the real world every now and then.”

Mallory paused when the shorter female did not respond. She glanced back and noticed the dazed, but happy smile on Poe’s face. Those chocolate eyes looked like they were staring into heaven.

“You think my work is beautiful?” the author inquired.

“Not only is your work beautiful, but so are you,” Mallory declared with the utmost sincerity. “Besides, don’t you like dressing up?”

Poe screwed up her face. “Well, it’s not really my style.”

“We have time now to find what your style is. You have a casual style, but now we can find you a formal style. It doesn’t have to be a dress or suit. But, it shouldn’t be jeans and t-shirts or soccer jerseys. Give it a shot. You never know what you might come up with.” 

Poe sighed, but she did not object. Mallory took that as permission to play dress up with the artist until they hit on Poe’s “style.” She was certain it would be an adventure.

“Pick things you’d think you’d like that aren’t jeans and a t-shirt,” the redhead said as they entered a department store. She figured the wide variety would be good for Poe and give her an idea of what she should be on the look out for. After she had a notion of what Poe wanted, they could hit the smaller boutiques for something chic.

She discovered that there was little rhyme or reason to Poe when it came to considering clothes. None that she could find anyway. Poe would show interest in dark tones, light tones, soft tones, loud tones, busy designs, plain designs, loose clothes, tight clothes, and everything in between. Mallory’s head was the one that ended up dizzy after walking through the department store.

“Are we going to another store or are we done?” Poe asked curiously.

Blue eyes narrowed on the writer. “Are you purposely being difficult?” 

A playful smirk danced on Poe’s soft face. “Why would you say that?”

Mallory could not help snickering. “Dammit, Poe, take this seriously. I’m not going anywhere with you if you insist on being a brat.”

The younger woman pouted, but a light still shone in her coffee-colored eyes. “I’m not a brat. I’m just not sure this is gonna work.”

“You won’t know if you don’t try. Now, take it seriously.”

Poe nodded. “Okay, but I’m not sure what kind of clothes I’d wear if I couldn’t wear what I have on now.”

“Just take it seriously and I’ll help you.”

“Okay.”

Mallory took them to another department store and found that Poe taking matters seriously was just as bad as her being a brat. Poe clearly had no clue what she was looking for. Mallory stepped in to help, telling Poe what styles might flatter the younger woman’s body. The artist was able to figure out designs and colors on her own. And then, miracles of miracles, they found an outfit that Poe thought suited her and Mallory agreed.

Mallory smiled. “That was relatively painless. Shall we continue?”

Poe nodded and she smiled, too. “It wasn’t so bad, yeah. But, I still don’t like shopping.”

The redhead had to laugh. “I didn’t think one outfit would change that. Stick it out, bohemian, and then I’ll take you to lunch, okay?”

“I’ll take that.” 

“Then let’s get moving. We should get you a few things since you seem to party a lot.”

Poe shrugged. “Only with Nadi. Me and Justin have parties, but artist stuff is not the same as the fancy, stage stuff that Nadi has. If you go to a party that I or Justin get to invite people to, you’d see I’m not so bad. I just look bad in comparison.”

Mallory laughed. “At least you’re aware you look bad compared to everyone else. At least we both know you’re not blind.”

“No, I just don’t really care. I mean, I don’t like those parties and I don’t really like the people at those parties, so I’m not really interested in dressing the part or acting like something I’m not.”

“I understand that one. It’s sort of your way of showing you’re not having a good time. But, you’ll be having a good time with me,” Mallory declared with a grin as she bumped Poe with her hip.

The artist nodded. “You’re probably right.”

“No, paint-by-numbers, I am right. So, let’s go find more ‘I’m having fun’ clothes.” She took Poe by the hand and led her to the next store. Poe actually giggled and put up no resistance. They would go on to purchase three more outfits.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory yawned as she moved through her apartment craving coffee for the first time in a long time. _Usually, I’m craving tequila_. Suddenly, blue eyes went wide. It was in that moment that she realized that she had been drinking a lot less in recent weeks.

“Which is a good thing, I guess, but now I have to go out and buy coffee,” she sighed, but she could not help smiling. Not only had she been drinking much less, but she had not thought about her cigarettes at all. For once, it would seem that her vow to quit actually stuck and she was not smoking anymore.

Scratching her head, Mallory turned to go back to her bedroom to get some clothes. She barely made it a step before her cell phone beganringing. Sharp, cerulean eyes scanned the apartment for her phone and spotted it on the couch. She realized that if was her mother based on the ring tone.

“Hey, Mom,” Mallory cooed, smiling as she spoke.

“Hey, baby. It’s so good to hear from you. If only you actually called me,” her mother laughed.

“God, Mom,” Mallory groaned and rubbed her face with her free hand, feeling a bit like an asshole. “Sorry. I get so busy that I forget. How are things going on in your corner of the universe?”

“Things are fine. Your niece has been asking about you. She wants you to come home soon.”

Mallory smiled. “Oh, I miss my little goober. How’s her brother doing? Is he walking yet?”

Her mother scoffed. “Running is more like it. I swear that boy is going to give me gray hair before my time! You need to come and take them for a day. Not only will Kelly appreciate it because that girl does miss her aunt, but her parents would appreciate it.” 

She laughed. _I really should go get them sometime soon and hang out with the little goobers. I miss them_. “Tell Meghan to stop having kids if she can’t handle passing on her crazy personality.”

“Ricky is the last one, they both said. Patrick just wanted his junior.”

“I need to see Ricky. I haven’t seen him in so long. He’s probably so big now.” Well, big in baby terms. She knew that kids grew quickly, though. She did not want to miss her nephew’s entire infancy.

“What have you been up to, sweetie? You don’t usually stay away for so long and you don’t typically go this long without calling either. What has you so occupied you’ve forgotten the niece that adores you?”

Mallory flopped down on her sofa. “I think time just got away for me. I’m not doing much that’s different from usual. I’ve got a new friend and I’ve been hanging with her more often than my other friends. In fact, she’s taking me to a party later on.”

“Are you dating this girl?” her mother asked with interest.

Mallory scratched her head. “I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t think so. We just hang out often. She cute in an adorable way, but she’s a kid. She’s only twenty. We’re just friends.” _Yeah, just friends with benefits. And while she is damn adorable, she’s also sexy as hell with that cut body_.

“Okay, if you say so. You should settle down, have a family. You love kids and you’re good with them. I’d love to be a grandma again.”

Mallory scoffed. “Mom, that’s not going to happen any time. I still want to try figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“What do you mean? You have a wonderful condo and a good job. You should have gotten your adventures out of the way considering how much you travel. Now, you have to start your family.”

“Mom, being a physical trainer is not a good job and I can’t do it forever. And I don’t want a family by myself, so until I meet the right person I’m not starting a family.”

Her mother snorted. “What about this girl you’re hanging out with?”

“Mom, she’s just a friend. We have fun together. It’s nothing too deep. Don’t try to make it more than it is.”

“Okay! Okay! I just want you to get started with your life. You’ve been doing the same things since you graduated high school. That’s ten years of stagnation. You’ve got to do something. Get out there and find the one for you and move on with your life. You can’t stay in the same place forever.”

“We all move at our our pace, Mom. Maybe I’m not ready to find the one for me or move forward or whatever. Don’t be a nag.” She shook away images of Poe in her little black dress followed by images of Poe curled against her on the couch and writhing against her in bed. She dismissed all of that. _Poe’s just on my mind because of talking about her and having plans with her later. Nothing more_.

“Fine, fine. I’m letting it go.”

A smile appeared on Mallory’s face. “What’s Dad up to? Tell him to stop giving my little brother a hard time.”

Her mom laughed. “Tell your little brother to be more responsible before he gives your dad a heart attack.”

“That’s what he was made for. We all know Shaun doesn’t have any good sense.”

They shared a laugh and continued discussing their family. Mallory made plans to go home soon to see everyone. She was smiling by the time they hung up.

“I’m glad Mom called. I can’t believe I haven’t called any of them in so long. What did I get so wrapped up in? I really do need to see them soon, but before all or that, I need coffee and to get ready to go out with Poe.” The redhead picked herself up from the couch and set about her task.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe crawled into her bed and snuggled into her blankets like a burrowing animal. She had come from a night out with Mallory and needed to recover. She could not do that at Mallory’s place earlier because the redhead had a different meaning for “recovery.” Just as she was drifting off to sleep her phone rang.

“Oh, Mom! I just wanna sleep,” she whined as she grabbed the phone off of the floor. “Hi, Mom.” She hoped that her voice was not as gravelly as it sounded to her ears.

“Whoa, did I wake you at four in the afternoon again?” her mother asked in a teasing tone.

“No.”

“It certainly sounds like it.”

“But, you didn’t. I’m up, so what’s up?” Poe asked curiously.

“I just wanted to ask about your weekend,” Rayne replied with teasing tone in her voice. Poe could hear her father in the background, reprimanding her mother from what she could tell.

“What’s Dad going on about?” the artist asked, if only to keep her mother from inquiring about her exhausting weekend. 

“Never mind him. So, how was your weekend?”

Poe scratched her head and sighed. _Of course asking her about Dad wouldn’t work_. “It was good.” 

“That’s all?”

The writer could tell her mother was fishing by that point and she know why. She and Mallory had gone to Nadi’s party on Friday, but Nadi had also spotted them in a club on Saturday. Nadi had been excited both times, especially since Poe had been dressed “properly” for both outings. She imagined that Nadi was having a good time reporting everything to her mother and she could see them both plotting, trying to figure out how to Mallory to marry Poe. 

“Mom, what is it, really?”

Rayne chuckled. “Will you just tell me about your girlfriend? I’m going to die of curiosity!” she practically screamed, still laughing. 

“Will you stop bugging the girl about her girlfriend and let her try to build a relationship!” Nolan called and it sounded like they were playfully struggling over the phone.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Poe shouted, in case the phone was not near anyone’s ear.

“That’s not what Nadi says!” Rayne replied.

“Ignore your mom!” Nolan chimed in. There was some grunting and it sounded like the phone dropped. That was confirmed when a new person got on the phone.

“Hi, Poe!” Calvin said, a smile in his voice. 

“Hi! How’s my skating buddy?” Poe replied.

“I’m fine. I miss you! Can you come to show and tell with me? I wanna ‘show and tell’ everybody my big sister.” 

She grinned. “You tell me when I need to be there and I will.”

“I knew it!”

The background noise died down, but her parents did not get back on the line. Poe spoke to her baby brother for almost an hour, forgetting her exhaustion. It was like she soaked up his energy long enough to stay on the phone. As soon as the siblings said goodbye, Poe fell asleep.

-8-8-8-8- 

Poe found herself at yet another party. She was beginning to wonder when Nadi actually had time to dance because of all of the parties. She did not say anything about it because she was not upset. Briefly, Poe considered that her acceptance came from her new, “formal” style. Terra cotta-colored slacks wrapped around her legs, with a sharp crease in them, but they fit her like most of her jeans. She had on a matching sleeveless shirt underneath a beige button-up shirt, but she left the top two buttons undone. The button-up had spotted deer running through it. She wore brown and copper-colored shoes that felt more like sneakers than any other shoes that she had ever worn. 

“Here you are and all dressed up again. Mallory works miracles,” Nadi commented as she stepped over to her best friend. A small smile played on her lips and a delighted light danced in her eyes.

“Hey, stop telling my mom that Mallory is my girlfriend,” Poe requested. “She keeps calling me and saying crazy stuff.” 

Nadi’s face scrunched up. “She is your girlfriend. You’ve brought her to three parties, you were at a club with her, and you’re always at her place when I call you or she’s always at yours. You’re her girlfriend.”

Poe scoffed. “That doesn’t prove anything. We’re friends.” 

Now, Nadi scoffed and rolled her eyes for good measure. “Really? Could you be anymore of a Poe?”

The artist squinted as she processed those words. “You say that like it’s an insult.” 

“Because it partially is. You’re so lost in your own world, drowning out other people, you miss the simple things in life.”

Poe’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t see the way her eyes soften when they fall on you? The way that she searches for you when you’re separated and her eyes linger on you for a long moment? The way she drifts toward you whenever you’re apart, so that she’s in your space within minutes, like she can’t escape your graviton pull? And, of course, there’s the fact that her arm always finds its way around your waist when you’re within arm’s length.”

Poe thought on it a while and noted that her heart fluttered at the notion. She shook it away, though, dismissing it as Nadi’s surprisingly romantic side. She and Mallory were friends. They had never agreed to be more and those listed behaviors could just be Nadi seeing things that were not there because Nadi wanted Poe to be more than friends with Mallory. Before she could tell her best friend that, the dancer spoke.

“You’re the same.” 

A sharp inhale was Poe’s response. She wanted to deny, dispute, and debate that claim, but found it impossible because she was scanning the crowd for Mallory. Making matters worse, Mallory was making her way toward Poe after a couple of minutes apart. Blue and brown eyes locked momentarily and the pair shared a smile. Poe felt like her insides melted, but in a good way. Her heart felt lighter as she anticipated Mallory being by her side. She would go as far as to say that her soul settled when Mallory was near. 

“Love looks good on you. I’m glad you’ve finally let someone in,” Nadi said before easing away.

Poe did not have a chance to retort and did not see the point. She doubted that she could change Nadi’s thinking. As she watched Mallory walk toward her, she forgot about what Nadi said. She noted the warm sensation that began in her chest and how it spread as Mallory came closer. She was not sure what to make of it, having never felt anything like if before. Or at least never realizing it.

“Are you going to stand here all night?” Mallory asked with her usual teasing smirk. Her eyes were soft, just as Nadi suggested. Her arm went around Poe’s waist, too. She pulled the artist close, having their bodies touch, and Poe doubted that she had never experienced such a divine calm inside of her. Of course, the recognition blew her mind and her thoughts began going a mile-a-minute as she tried to make sense of it. 

“I just needed to catch my second wind. So many people,” Poe replied honestly, surprised that she could even speak now that she had been properly overwhelmed by her best friend’s words and foreign emotions. “I realize I know most of them, but there’s still such a … I dunno. I just …”

“I know, Poe. I know.” Mallory kissed the top of her head. 

Poe smiled and huddled closer to the redhead, letting her thoughts go and just reveling in whatever it was that they shared. Those simple words “I know” somehow offered Poe more comfort than anything that anyone had ever said. She supposed that was because she knew they were true. Mallory did know; Mallory knew her.

-8-8-8-8-

Scarlet frowned as she exited a rather swank hotel. She had to hold in a growl. _I hate fucking nights like tonight! Why the hell do I do shit like this to myself?_ She hated that the answer to that was money, a lot of money. She had just made more in one night than most people made in a month. _And yet, my skin continues to crawl and I actually feel a little dirty. Need a fucking shower and maybe some amnesia pills_. 

All she wanted to do was go home and take an hour long, burning hot shower before she fell into bed for the next few days. She left her boss’ cut with Baran after he dropped her off at home. She was greeted at her door by Poe, who was sitting by the door with her cell phone in hand. Adoring brown eyes looked up at her and her heart melted, easing tension from her soul, and settling the trouble toiling inside of her. She was too overcome to contemplate why.

“I was about to call you,” Poe unnecessarily explained. 

Mallory smiled softly. “What happened that you need soccer at this very moment?”

Poe shrugged. “Burned myself out getting ready for an art show.”

“Of course. An art show? That’s great. How’s the work coming along?” the redhead asked as she opened the door. Poe climbed to her feet. 

“Great. I already had a lot of work. I’ve been working well for a while now. I’ve got a couple of paintings that I still need to start on, but I’ll be ready for the show.”

Mallory smiled. “That’s good. I’m going to sleep, so be quiet.” 

“I always am.”

“Yes, you are.”

The redhead kissed Poe’s forehead and for some reason that helped her feel a little better. She rubbed Poe’s head, earning contented coos from Poe, which soothed her even more. Curious chocolate eyes stared at her, but Poe remained silent. She went to take a shower and crawled into bed, hoping to forget the day ever happened.

Before she was completely asleep, she felt the bed depress and powerful arms wrapped around her waist. A gentle kiss to her neck almost brought a tear to her eye. She would have been alarmed if only she was able to stay awake as she felt Poe’s strong body press against her. Sweet slumber washed away all ill effects of the day. 

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory awoke from one of the best sleeps of her life and she immediately knew why. Delightful warmth was pulling away and the limbs around her middle were falling off of her. In a panic, she quickly grabbed for the arms and held on for dear life. Poe ceased all movement as tension gripped Mallory like a python.

“Stay,” the redhead whispered. It was actually lower than a whisper. It would be a miracle if Poe heard her. 

Surprisingly, Poe’s arms returned and she pressed herself against Mallory once more. A long exhale escaped Mallory as she relaxed. Blue eyes drifted shut as soft lips kissed her neck again.

-8-8-8-8- 

Next time: sometimes ignorance is bliss and knowledge is frightening.


	9. Block

9: Block

Mallory woke up to the wonderful feel of a strong body pressed against her. For a moment and in a haze, she lost herself in the feeling, reveling in it like some drunkard. _She stayed_. The realization brought a smile to her face and a warmth to her belly, but was followed by a more horrific thought. 

 _I asked her to stay and she stayed. I asked her! Why the hell would I ask her that?_ A million reasons ran through her head as to why, but she refused to accept any of them. _No, I do not having feelings for Poe beyond being her friend! She’s just my friend and a good lay! Nothing more._

She refused to think that she could suddenly be attached to someone. She was too independent for that. One of the reasons she could do her job was because she was unattached and she knew how to compartmentalize. Somehow, Poe had slipped out of her little section of Mallory’s mind and was now wandering all over her body, leaving disturbing emotions in her wake. _That won’t do_.

Mallory scratched her head until she realized it was a habit that she picked up from Poe. Blue eyes widened in terror and the urge to get away gripped her like a vice. She remained calm enough to ease out of the bed without waking Poe.

Putting some physical distance between them did not ease her panic. In fact, her body cried out to return to the warm embrace of Poe’s body, which made her chest tighten. Her mind reeled from the reaction and her instincts begged her to flee. Her body reacted to that with her heart pounding, her stomach turning, and burn rising in her throat. She almost fell over herself in getting out of the room. She did not know where she would go since she was at home, but she needed to get away from Poe. _I can’t. I just can’t_ … not that she could figure out exactly what she could not do.

Once there was a door between them, with Mallory hiding in the bathroom, she tried to collect herself. Taking a seat on the edge of the tub, she sighed and rubbed her face. Her heart seemed to be speeding up as she tried to calm down and she did not know what to do. Taking a deep breath did not help, nor did holding herself because she felt like she was about to fly apart at the seams.

 _Does Poe have feelings for me? Like major feelings? I know she’s got friendly feelings for me. She seems too … guarded to have anything beyond platonic feelings for anybody. She doesn’t want to let someone in. Well, I don’t want to let anyone in either. Friends are fine, but nothing else_.

Mallory liked being on her own, always had. It was extremely rare for her to do relationships, even before she got into her current line of work. She rarely connected with people on a deep level and she did not mind that. She always believed that she did not require a deep connection with anyone because she had everything she wanted in life. Everything was simple and she could afford to get her pleasure whenever or wherever she wanted it from and almost any form that she chose. It was not like she was hurting for friends or lonely. _I’m perfectly fine and I’ve always been fine_. 

So, she was not sure where the sudden emotions came from. But, she wanted them to go away, immediately if not sooner. _How do I do that, though?_ In her heart, she was more than aware what she would have to do. She had done it several times in her life when things got too serious, but the thought of doing it to Poe, her cuddle buddy, caused pains in her abdomen. She was not sure what to make of the oddly visceral reaction.

“Look, it’s clear this isn’t going to get any easier, especially if I’m calling her a cuddle buddy in my own head. I’m in deep already and I have to get out before this blows up in my face, as it has in the past.” With that, the decision was made.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe awoke to find herself alone in Mallory’s bed. Typically, she woke up before the redhead, but it was not unheard of for the older woman to rise first. What was unusual was a note on Mallory’s pillow. Poe yawned and rubbed her eyes before reaching for the small paper to see what it said. _Hey, Rip Van Winkle, I had some stuff to do. It’ll probably take a while. Lock up when you leave_.

The artist shrugged the note off and rose from the bed. She took a minute out of her life to make the bed, knowing that Mallory preferred that to the “leave it as it is” method that Poe employed at home. She then left the apartment.

“I’ll call her later and make sure everything is all right. For now, I’ve got to get ready for this art show,” Poe told herself as she walked home.

In Poe’s loft, her hard work littered the whole area. Canvas of different sizes sat against any available surface. Her production level surprised her, especially since she had been blocked months ago. She supposed the dam burst and everything inside of her was pushed to the surface, which was good because she had feared that she would not be able to produce enough art for the expo and then she would not be able to afford simple things in life, like paying her rent. 

She still had things to fix in her novel, but that could wait until after the art show. Besides, her editor was looking the book over and she had to wait for his input. _Hopefully, he doesn’t tear the book apart_.

She put the novel out of her mind and put her focus back to her painting. She took a shower and changed into some art clothes, which were splotched with paint. She then sat down at her canvas, which had the basic outline of her next piece. She got to work, smiling slightly. 

A few hours passed before Poe realized that she was hungry. She got up to see if she had any food and found that she had a banana and a single can of tuna. She ate both and decided to call Mallory, just to check on her. The redhead had seemed down and out last night and Poe hoped that she was feeling better. The phone rang and rang until the voice mail picked up.

“Hey, it’s me. I just wanted to tell you, I locked up and everything like you asked.” With that, she made a kissing noise, to let Mallory have her usual goodbye kiss even if they were apart. She dared not leave a message about being concerned for Mallory because she knew that the redhead would not want to acknowledge her emotional state.

“I wonder why she was so down,” Poe muttered. She knew it had to be serious when Mallory clung to her in her sleep and requested that she stay. “Well, I hope that made her feel a little better. She must’ve felt somewhat better to get up and do whatever she had to do.”

That sounded reasonable to her, so she returned her attention to her work. As she painted, she thought about how happy she was to be able to be there for Mallory. It felt nice to just hold the older woman and lying next to her innocently had made Poe feel warm inside. A small part of her hoped to be able to do it again.

Time got away from her and she did not realize how many hours passed until she was tired. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes and stood up to stretch. She glanced at her phone, seeing that she had been working for over fourteen hours.

“She didn’t call me back. I hope she’s okay. I wonder if she had work or something,” Poe grumbled as she shuffled through her home toward her “bedroom.”

She showered again because she was covered in paint. She then changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. She checked her phone once more before crawling into bed. She did not think too much on Mallory not calling her back. It was not unusual for them to go days without making contact. It worked for them. _I hope she’s okay, though_.

-8-8-8-8-

The phone rang, interrupting Poe putting the finishing touches on one of her final paintings. She reached for it, hoping that it was Mallory. She had not heard from the redhead in over a week and wanted to invite Mallory to the art show. _I should’ve done it when saw her before, but she seemed so overwrought, I wasn’t even thinking about it_. If push came to shove, she considered camping outside of Mallory’s door, but that could prove fruitless as Mallory sometimes went on “date vacations.” For all Poe knew, Mallory could be around the world with some date and might not be back for a week or more.

Poe shook that away when she saw who was calling. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, my little Leonardo. For a second, I thought you were going to let me go to voicemail. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” the suggestive tone made Poe shudder.

“Mom! Don’t do that! I’m painting, anyway.”

“Well, will we finally be able to meet your Mallory at the art show?”

“She’s not mine, Mom. We’re just friends.”

“All right,” Rayne conceded with a dramatic sigh. “But, will we be able to meet her at the art expo?”

“You should be able to. I’ve been trying to invite her, but I keep getting her voicemail.”

“Is everything all right?” her mother asked with concern. She could imagine her mother looking at her with big, worried eyes.

“I guess. She seemed a bit depressed or upset the last time I saw her. She might need some time to get herself together. Or, she could be traveling, as she does that for work from time to time. I’ll give her some time. Not like the art show is tomorrow.”

Rayne squealed slightly. “What happened? You should be taking care of her!”

“Mom, not only do we not have that type of relationship, but I’m not that type of person and she’s not the type that would want someone to take care of her. She didn’t even tell me what was the matter with her.” She could only imagine how “well” it would go over if she had actually offered to “take care” of Mallory. She doubted that would go over well in any scenario.

“Well, what kind of girlfriend are you?”

“Mom!”

“I know, I know. She’s not your girlfriend. But, I can see why she’s not. You’re supposed to take care of a girl when she doesn’t feel good or when she’s upset. I have to tell your father to talk to you to help you keep a girlfriend.”

A long groan escaped Poe. “Mom.” She shook her head. _What am I going to do with this woman?_

“Baby, I just want you to be happy. Nadi always leaves me with the impression that Mallory makes you happy. If it’s just a friendship, that’s fine. I just want you to be happy.”

Poe took a calming inhale and thought on it. “I never really thought about it, but, yeah, she does. Well, it’s more like contentment. It’s like being at home.”

“That’s good. Hold onto that, Poe. The form of relationship doesn’t matter. It how the relationship makes you feel. Be content. Be pleased with your life.”

“I am, Mom. I do like Mallory. Our relationship doesn’t really have a name, but I think we brighten each other’s days. Seeing her is better than watching or playing soccer.”

Rayne laughed. “Only you would put it like that, but I’m so happy for you. I want your life to turn out nicely, not just professionally, but personally, too. I want you to be able smile all the time. I might tease you about it, but I really just want you to be happy.”

Poe smiled. “You know, the best thing about that is that Mallory would understand how big that is. It used to be that only you and Dad got me totally, but Mallory knows me just as well as you do. It’s cool.”

Her mother chuckled. “So, why is she not your girlfriend?”

“We work as we are. I like how we are, even without a definition, and I think she does, too. I’d rather it stay like this than we try to put a label on it and then I mess it up. I like things the way they are now and I don’t think that’ll change anytime soon.”

“That’s good, sweetheart. I know how hard it is for you to let people in. Hold her close to you if that makes you happy, Poe.”

The artist smiled. “I’ll do my best, Mom.”

“Are you going to come by the house any time soon or will we have to wait until the art expo to see you? Poor Calvin continues to assume the bears got you.”

Poe chuckled. “Tell him to call me when he can. I’m really stuck in my painting mode, which is good. Hopefully I can get some money at this art show. Then, I can show Mallory a good time and make you proud.”

“Oh my god, Poe! You made a joke! This Mallory woman is good for you! I can’t wait to meet her!”

The artist groaned and blushed a bit. The mother and daughter bid each other farewell. Poe went back to painting and was only interrupted by the sound of her phone going off again. Hoping that it was Mallory, her heart actually dropped to see her parent’s number. Even when she found out that it was her brother, she did not recover completely from her disappointment. They spoke for about twenty minutes.

“Mallory, where are you?” Poe wondered once she got off of the phone with her brother. Sighing, she turned her attention back to her work and tried to put the redhead out of her head. It was hard to put Mallory out of her mind after she realized she admitted to liking Mallory to her mother. She had let Mallory in and she was happy with that. While they were not girlfriends, they were something that she could not put words to, but they worked. They worked. She smiled at thought.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory sighed as she flipped through her missed calls. Near the bottom, Poe’s name came up frequently, but the closer she got to the top, the less and less her name was there. Her stomach twisted on itself and her throat burned, but she was not sure what to make of that.

“She’s gone. I should accept that. It’s what I wanted. She got the hint without me having to tell her outright, which is nothing short of amazing. She’s usually so thick …” An involuntary smile graced her features, but it quickly turned into a frown as she realized what she was doing. _She’s out of my life and I should be happy over that. I am happy over that. No baggage from someone else in my life, no risk of someone trying to change me, and no threat to my lifestyle anymore. I am happy_.

So happy that she had been avoiding her house, stopping by for quick showers and a change of clothes. She did not want to chance running into Poe, who might camp outside her door. Mallory actually checked in with the doorman each time to make sure Poe was not around. She was also tipping him to stall Poe if she ever showed up while Mallory was home. So far, it was a waste of money.

Her mouth dropped a bit. _She’s just giving up on me? I wasn’t worth a fight from her? She’s just going to leave me be?_ Well, it was what she wanted, so she supposed that she should be happy. _I am happy_. She had her life back the way it should be. She was even working more than ever, earning more than ever. One step closer to a dream that she could not pin down.

“I’ll have more than enough money to get started,’’ Mallory said, convincing herself that things were all right.

In fact, she had a date tonight. He was of the European aristocracy. One of those rich nobles without actually being rich. He had “debased” himself by marrying a wealthy American heiress, who unfortunately fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Mallory did not know if his wife was aware of what he did with her money when he went out and she did not care much about it since it was helping fund her.

She moved to get ready for her date with Lord Corben Telfor. She had several dates with him before and knew that he preferred for her to look as elegant as possible to show her off. He wanted people to know he was a lord based on the lady on his arm. She did not mind dressing the part. So, she had her hair styled in lovely drop curls and slipped on a light cerulean gown that matched her eyes almost perfectly. Expensive jewelry purchased by the lord himself and the perfect makeup followed. Everything was carefully chosen and applied. She wanted a reaction from him as soon as he saw her. She got what she wanted.

While Lord Corben was a long time customer, Mallory still met him at a hotel across town. He was waiting when she got out of Baran’s car. His dark brown eyes went wide as the nobleman watched her walk to him. She made sure to put a little extra spice in the sway of her hips and he licked his lips as he watched her move. 

“My, my Scarlet, don’t you look lovely,” Corben said with a smile as he reached out for her.

She slid her hand into his. His hand was soft, but that was probably the only soft thing about him. He had a long, severe face with nearly black eyes that had bags underneath them. It did not help that he walked with a cane, sort of hunched over. He always dressed in black suits and she often considered he wanted to seem sinister or was actually the Devil. She would bet money of the latter, considering she knew many of the things he liked to do for pleasure, beyond what he did in the bedroom with her.

Corben kissed her hand. “It’s wonderful to see you as usual, my dear.”

“It’s always a pleasure, my lord.” The first time that they had a date, he made it perfectly clear that she should call him that and she did despite how much if made her want to retch. He paid too well for one night for her to get bothered by his ego. Besides, if she let all of her clients idiosyncrasies get to her, she would have no clients.

“That it is. Well, shall we?” Corben motioned to his waiting town car. The driver had the passenger side door open.

“Of course,” she replied and eased into the car. He was right behind her and his hand went to her bare leg as soon as he was secure next to her.

“I hope you’re ready for a bit of culture. We have an art expo full of talented young artists. My collection is quite dry of this fresh, modern look. Afterwards, we shall have dinner and then retire to my suite,” he explained to her, as if she needed to be in the loop. 

“If that’s your pleasure.” _I sound like a character in a freaking Victorian era novel_. She hoped the art expo was not the art show that Poe was talking about. She also hoped that Poe was not considered “talented” in young, art circles. Of course, she knew that was probably a bit much too hope for since she had seen Poe’s work.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe sighed as she and her family finished setting up her space at the art expo. Usually, she enjoyed these things, even more so than having her own personal art show. There was something about being surrounded by fellow artists, especially painters, that calmed her nerves. Yet, she did not feel that now. She thought about Mallory.

She truly wanted Mallory to be there with her, to experience the whole expo with her. Her calls continued to go unanswered. She had gone to the redhead’s apartment a couple of times, but she only got a sore butt for her troubles. It got to the point where she contacted the escort service and was able to find out Mallory was at least still alive. But, she also started to realize Mallory was avoiding her because she was desperate enough to try to buy a date with Mallory only to be offered a different girl no matter what day of the year she picked.

Apparently, Mallory had no desire see her. She had not been the same since that epiphany. It felt like a storm cloud was overhead, raining down on her, dampening her spirits and sullying her demeanor. When her family arrived, they noticed immediately, but were kind of not to ask her about her mood yet. Even Justin had let it slide when she helped him set up. She knew that Nadi would not be so kind. She needed to school her expression before the dancer appeared. 

“You’ve been really busy with your art,” Nolan commented as he looked around at Poe’s work. The sound of his voice drew her out of her thoughts.

Poe shrugged. “Yeah. The painting bug just bit me a while ago.” The urge had also abandoned her as she worried about Mallory and then she could barely get out of bed when she figured out that the redhead did not want to see her. _At least I have more than enough work for this. I might not be able to do my own private show for a while, though_.

“This is good work. Maybe some of your best,” Justin added. His eyes drifted to the last painting she completed before the show. “A little morbid in some pieces, but still some of your best work.”

She shrugged again. “I guess.” She found that she did not care. None of those painting could sell and she would not care or she could sell every last piece and still feel like something a dog pissed on.

Things were quiet momentarily before Rayne chimed in. “Justin, do you think you could show Calvin the comic section? He really wants to see some comic books.”

“Yeah!” Calvin cheered.

“No problem. If any of my family or Nadi shows up, just tell ‘em I’ll be right back,” Justin said before walking off with Calvin.

Poe knew that she should be protesting.She should be the one showing her brother the comic book artists because that was one of their things together, but she did not have it in her. Then, she noticed the look in her parents’ eyes and she knew that she would not have been allowed to leave, even if she had objected. Her parents wanted to talk to her alone.

“Mom, Dad, I’m fine,” Poe insisted because she was all too aware that they were worried about her mood.

“No, you’re not. We’ve seen you at these art shows. You usually have way more energy than ever at these things and we definitely tend to see more smiles,” Nolan pointed out. She knew things had to be serious if her dad had the opening line.

“Now, what’s wrong?” Rayne gently pressed.

Poe sighed. “It’s just … I dunno …” She shrugged. She was not sure how to put what she was feeling in words and she definitely did not want to say what happened aloud.

“Is it because Mallory never got back to you to come?” her mother guessed.

“I dunno. Maybe. I mean, I wish she did come,” Poe admitted.

Rayne offered her a sad smile and caressed the artist’s head. Poe sighed again, but did not move away from the touch. Rayne leaned down and kissed the top of Poe’s forehead. Poe moved closer to her mother, just wanting to bask in the secure hold of the only woman to truly love her and never hurt her.

“I love you, Mom,” Poe blurted out.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Nolan teased as he got in on the cuddle-fest.

Poe laughed a bit. “I love you, too, Dad. You’re both great parents and great people. I’m so happy that you took a chance with me. Thank you for that.” They were the first people to let her know that humanity was not completely worthless and despite what the world continued to try to show her, her parents continued to prove that she was worth loving. _At least they love me, care about me, and would never abandon me. I have them. That should be enough because some people don’t even have that_.

“It’ll be okay, Poe. There are plenty of fish in the sea,” Rayne assured her.

“I know,” the young woman mumbled.

“You’ll find your special someone. I’m sure of it,” Nolan stated with certainty. “Do you know how long it took me to find your mother? There’s someone out there for everybody, Poe. One day, you’ll find the girl of your dreams and she’ll shock and amaze you by loving you back,” he promised, giving both mother and daughter a smile.

Poe forced out a smile. She stepped away from them to try to get her mind back on the art expo. _I’ve lost a lot of people in life. Mallory is just one more on that long list. Of course, she’s the only on that list that seemed to totally understand me_. _Mallory knew me better than anyone else and apparently did not want to know anymore._ _What does that say about me?_

The artist did not have time to feel sorry for herself. Nadi showed up, all elegant excitement. Poe had to smile because Nadi loved the art shows and such as much as the balls and galas. She hugged Poe, holding her tightly and lifting her off of her feet.

“Let’s sell a lot of paintings!” Nadi grinned. She let Poe go only to grab Nolan and then Rayne into hugs. They returned the embraces with just as much enthusiasm. “Where’s Justin?” she asked once the hugs were done.

“He was kind enough to take charge of Calvin for a few minutes. They should be back soon enough,” Nolan explained.

Nadi nodded and accepted that. Justin was back soon with Calvin carrying swag – a pile comic books. Calvin went to Poe’s side immediately, wanting to show his sister all of his new stuff as well as the books that he purchased for her. Justin went to Nadi while giving her a sheepish smile because he also had a pile of comic books. Nadi did not say anything to him, only hugging and kissing him as if that would help her get rid of her extra energy.

-8-8-8-8-

Scarlet felt Lord Corben’s arm tighten around her waist, warning the crowds of people that she was his. She was not bothered by it. He was paying a pretty penny for the illusion, after all. As she looked at the art, she saw that she was not the only thing that he would be paying a hefty fee for. Every piece that he looked at was at least four figures. But, it was not his money that he used to buy fancy art, high-price call girls, or expensive cigars that he kept on his person at all times.

“This is much larger than the one that they held last year. I would’ve loved to bring you, my dear, but the beast insisted on accompanying me,” he explained. “The beast” was the a name that he called his wife when she was not around.

“But, you’ve brought me now, my lord,” she pointed out with a small, demure smile.

“Yes, I could use your eye for beauty to pick up some pieces. I know you understand art,” he commented.

“Well, my lord, art is subjective. What I find beautiful might not be to your liking,” she countered.

“You’ll do fine, Scarlet.” His fingers caressed her side to reassure her.

The redhead did not argue and offered him a smile as thanks for the compliment. They moved through the surprising crowd, studying the large areas of different art. They made their way through the sculptures and Lord Corben purchased several. Despite his flashy ways, she admitted that he had culture and knew more about it than she did. But, she did have enough knowledge of it to keep up with him, as was expected of her.

“This would have been better in a different medium,” he mumbled to himself.

Scarlet was about to chime in, but suddenly she was tugged away. A yelp almost escaped her, but she was able to hold it in as she spun around to find out what the hell was going on. She flinched when she saw Nadi glaring before her. She damn near gulped because of the heated look in those light hazel eyes.

“Nadi, hello,” Scarlet said with a bright, cheery, and very mocking smile.

“Don’t ‘hello’ me. What the hell are you doing here with that creep?” Nadi demanded while roughly motioning to Lord Corben, who was distracted by the art and not paying the pair any mind.

Scarlet smirked. “What does it look like?” she countered in her best smart-ass voice.

Nadi clearly did not appreciate the tone. “You really cannot be this much of an asshole. You dump her without even having the decency of telling her, knowing how thick she can be. She’s been worried that something happened to you.”

Her heart clenched in on itself as Scarlet thought about Poe’s frequent phone calls and sporadic, mumbled voice messages. She took a deep breath to calm herself and consciously steeled her soul. _I don’t give a shit about Poe._

“So what?” the redhead replied, sucking her teeth.

“So what? You break her heart and then have the nerve to show up to her thing with a man of all people? A creepy man at that,” Nadi huffed.

“I do what I please. Besides, stop acting like we were a couple. Poe knew what we were and we were not girlfriends.”

Nadi’s glare became stronger, more powerful, as if she were trying to set the redhead ablaze with her eyes. Scarlet squared her shoulders, letting the dancer know that she was ready for combat. Nadi did not back down, even though she was much shorter than Scarlet.

“What do you mean you were not girlfriends? You came to parties with her on time and she’s been dressing better. Her eyes light up around you and she talks about you almost constantly, for her anyway. She would never do that for a friend. I know that for a fact.”

Scarlet scoffed. “Whatever. She’s not my problem. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She turned to leave, but Nadi grabbed her arm. The prissy dancer had a surprisingly strong grip.

“She is your problem. She cares about you and I know you care about her. I’ve seen the way you look at her. Don’t throw her away like everyone else has for whatever fucked up reason you have,” Nadi growled.

Blue eyes glared at Nadi as a way to stop the words from getting through. “I don’t care about her anymore than I care about the gentleman I’m with right now. Actually, no, I care about him more since he’s paying for the night.”

Nadi stepped back, releasing her in the process. Disbelief and confusion clouded those hard cocoa eyes, putting together what the redhead meant. Scarlet figured her smirk would clear it all up.

“Poe would never hire a date,” Nadi declared strongly, staring Scarlet down again.

“Oh, but she has. She might have forgotten and bought the fantasy. It happens sometimes, people just assume that everything is so real because it feels that way.”

“She wouldn’t.”

“Oh, but she would and whatever you thought you saw between us was all part of the fantasy. Now, go away,” Scarlet growled and gave Nadi a burning glower that finally backed the chocolate-skinned woman up just enough for the redhead to make her escape.

Scarlet fell back into line with Lord Corben, who was ready to move on to the next booth. His arm seemed to automatically go around her waist. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Nadi had vanished. She tried to put the encounter out of her head, but now she was aware that Poe was in the building somewhere, probably in the section of most of the painters.

Her stomach was grinding against itself as they moved and it felt like acid was eating away around her chest and throat.  Soon her “Poe-sense,” which she did not even want to admit to having, was tingling. Lord Corben was heading straight for Poe’s work. Scarlet secretly took a deep breath and hoped like hell that Poe was not there. Cerulean eyes scanned the area and it seemed like luck might be on her side. There was only a blond man there, holding down the fort from behind a small table.

Lord Corben began examining some of the larger canvases. Scarlet wished that he could just pick one and they could get the hell out of Dodge. Unfortunately, the nobleman was interested in several pieces. Part of Scarlet was proud because Poe worked so hard and her work was so pleasing to the eye, but Scarlet did not want to feel that. She did not want to feel anything in regards to Poe.  

“Nice piece, isn’t it?” the middle-aged man keeping on eye on the section said as he appeared next to the lord.

“Yes, it is. Are you the artist?” Lord Corben inquired.

He chuckled. “No, sir. I wish I was so talented. I am the artist’s proud father, Nolan Bryant. If you hang around for a minute or so, she should be back by then. Please, feel free to browse her work and I’ll answer whatever questions you may have to the best of my ability.”

The nobleman nodded and introduced himself while Scarlet tried her best to ease away and become invisible. She could not believe that she was meeting Poe’s father while she was on a “date.” Not just any date either, a date with one of the most sinister-looking clients that she had. Lord Corben pulled her close and gladly introduced her to the proud father. She had to hold back an awkward laugh as he shook her hand and offered her a warm smile that made her feel lower than a snake’s belly. Before they could exchange pleasantries, Poe suddenly showed up with a brunette middle-aged woman and blond little boy behind her.

“Hey, Poe, you’re just in time to discuss your work with a potential buyer,” Nolan proclaimed with a grin.

Poe smiled until she saw the costumers and then she looked like she had been punched in the gut. For a brief moment, her body actually shook enough for all to see. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Scarlet tried to ignore it, but she felt her heart break, shatter, and turn to dust as Poe’s eyes dropped to the floor. Her stomach, which had already been tying itself in knots, dropped to her feet. She was not sure how she did not vomit right then and there.

She ignored the urge to pull Poe into a hug and caress her head, to kiss her and cuddle her, to drag her away and make love to her until everything was right in their world again. _No, everything will be all right in my world as long as I stay away from her. I just have to be strong and stay away from her. Soon, the feelings will pass_.

As Poe stepped away with Lord Corben to discuss the artwork, Scarlet swallowed down bile that was working its way up her throat, burning her insides. The feelings that she had been ignoring since letting Poe go hit her a million times worse now that she saw that broken look in Poe’s beautiful, alluring brown eyes. Breathing was now a chore and she was not sure she would be able to continue acting normal if her chest could not pull in the right amount of air. Of course, breathing might not be an issue if her legs collapsed underneath her as they felt like jelly and they might not be able to hold her up for long.

A lump rose in Scarlet’s throat as she opened her mouth, which was good because she had no idea what she was going to say. So, she kept quiet and tried to get her body back under control. Poe glanced at her and it looked like she was going to say something, but Lord Corben had questions. Scarlet focused enough to hear what they were discussing.

“Your brush strokes are quite intriguing. Do you purposely do them to draw the eye to the center of the painting?” the nobleman asked.

Poe shrugged. “Yeah.”

Lord Corben frowned when she did not elaborate. “And these colors? Do you mix your own paints?”

“Sometime.” Poe’s gaze pleaded with Scarlet, who turned away to ignore her. She could have sworn that she heard the artist whimper. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lord Corben scowl even deeper than before.

Amazingly enough, Poe did not talk herself out of a sale. The nobleman purchased two paintings and arranged for their delivery before dragging Scarlet away from sorrowful brown eyes. Suddenly, Poe reached out, grabbing the redhead’s hand. It felt like molten lava and lightning passed between them.

“Mallory –” Poe started and the sound of her real name caused Scarlet to rip her hand away.

It took all of her willpower not to run. _What the hell are these feelings? I’ve never felt anything this powerful before!_ She needed to escape the emotions, escape Poe.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe watched as Mallory was lead away by the strangely crooked man that was probably a “date.” She did not care about that. She wanted to know what she had done wrong and why things were suddenly the way they were. She wanted to apologize because she missed Mallory, but obviously the feeling was not mutual. _Why would they be? I’ve always been disposable_.

“Poe, was that –?” Rayne tried to ask, but her daughter cut her off.

“That was nobody, Mom. Nobody.” Poe could be rid of people just like anyone else. It just never hurt like this.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Poe and Mallory try to recover from this encounter.


	10. Grat

10: Grat

Poe packed up her section at the art expo with the help of her family and friends. Her mother and Nadi hovered around her, watching her like hawks, and she knew why. She had already lied to her mother, hoping it would keep Rayne from worrying. She doubted it worked, but she had to try. She did not have the energy to continue doing so, not after Mallory had dismissed her so thoroughly by pretending that she did not exist. She felt defeated, done, and doomed. Everything inside of her was gone, yanked from within her when Mallory pulled away and denied her, denied everything. She was certain that she would crack like a dropped egg if someone asked her a relevant question. 

“Should Justin and I come by your place later?” Nadi asked Poe in a gentle tone, reaching out and tenderly stroking her forearm. It was if she knew that the artist was on the verge of physically shattering. “We’ll bring some movies and we can order takeout.”

Poe shook her head. “Don’t bother. Once we take this stuff there, I think I’m gonna go home for a few days.” She was surprised that her voice sounded somewhat proper, but it was scratchy, as if even it was torn out of her body.

Nadi nodded, knowing that Poe planned to go to her parents’ house. “She doesn’t deserve you, Poe,” she said in a powerful whisper before giving the shorter woman a brief hug.

Poe did not return the embrace. She also did not say anything to that, did not know what to say. She had to grit her teeth to keep from flying apart at the seams and losing all that was left inside of her, which admittedly was not much beyond pain, grief, and suffering; something to remember Mallory by. _I can’t be so special that no one deserves me. I’m the one that doesn’t deserve her. No, something is seriously wrong with me. No one ever wants me_.

She tried to put it out of her mind as her mother put an arm around her shoulders. She pulled Poe close and led her out of the expo space. She dragged along, finding it difficult to even pick one foot up to walk. Somehow, the air felt gritty and grey, the sky lacked a gleam, even though it was a clear day. It still felt like it was pouring, frozen, razor-sharp rain to Poe. She would not be surprised if she was drenched, even with the sun out.

The artist was glad that she had sold most of her pieces, so it would not take long to load them into the van her dad rented or carry them back to her apartment. She doubted that she would survive much longer out in the world. Hell, she was not sure if she would survive much longer period. Any moment now, she expected her whole body to break apart, her blood to ooze from the pieces, and her soul to go to Hell for some peace and a reprieve from the agony that she was currently experiencing.

“You know Justin’s parents are going to have a celebration tomorrow. Do you want to go?” Nolan asked Poe from the driver’s seat of the van. He was the only one in the van because the rest of the family rode in his car as there was no space when the van had been packed with her paintings. The rest of the family would ride back in the car while he went to drop off the van.

“They’re going to barbecue,” Rayne chimed in to help.

“Oh! I want hotdogs!” Calvin spoke up, bouncing on his heels.

Poe only made a noise. She liked barbecues, especially when Justin’s dad ran the grill, but she was not sure if she was up for it now. She felt like she would never be able to eat and even if she could, she would never be able to hold the food down. Her stomach bubbled at the thought and her throat burned from imaginary bile rising. Her mother sensed her hesitation and rubbed her head. It actually did nothing for her toiling insides.

“Just think about it. It’s not until tomorrow afternoon,” Nolan said.

“Okay …” Poe muttered. It felt and sounded like she chewed the word before it made it out of her mouth.

Rayne kissed her distraught daughter’s head before she gently pulled Poe to the car and they all started for Poe’s apartment. They unloaded the van, but did not stay in the loft after that. Her parents just knew that Poe was coming with them, even though she had not said anything to them. So, they went to drop the van off at the place they rented it from and then proceeded back to the house.

“Hey, Poe, wanna watch a movie at home?” Calvin asked with a toothy grin, which was too cute because he was missing one of his top front teeth. He recently lost it to a skating fall, which was fine since it had been loose in the first place.

Poe shrugged. “Sure. What do you want to watch?”

After watching the first and second Transformers’ movies with her little brother and doing a rather impressive job of not curling into a fetal position and bawling her eyes out, Poe retired for the evening. She was glad that Calvin had not asked anything about her mood beyond, “How come you’re not making fun of the movie like you usually do?” She did not have the energy to deal with anything. She did not want to deal with anything.

“Maybe some sleep will change that.” Or so she hoped.

After taking a hot shower that she did not feel and certainly did not make things better, the writer fell into bed. It felt like the darkness of the room devoured her, consuming the bits and pieces that Mallory had left bit. She had a fitful sleep, tossing and turning, feeling as if she was being nibbled on by gnashing, pointy, rodent-like teeth. She woke up several times in a cold sweat, hands wandering her limbs for imaginary wounds and her heart in her throat from unknown, unseen terror plaguing her emotions. The final time, she was not surprised to find her mother sitting by her bedside.

“Was I screaming or something?” Poe asked in a low voice, trying to catch her breath. It was not unheard for her to have night terrors, but they were very few and far in between lately.

“No, but you were thrashing about the bed for a while. You calmed down on your own, though,” Rayne explained. “You left your door open, so I saw you and decided to sit in.”

Poe took a deep breath and sat up. Rayne immediately reached over and scratched her head. A small, lazy smile appeared on Poe’s tanned features. Rayne kissed her forehead before enveloping her in a loving embrace. It helped calm her heart down.

“I wish …” her mother sighed and sniffled, trying to keep tears at bay for a wish that was almost a decade old. “You know what I wish.”

“Honestly, Mom, I wish the same thing. I’d be someone different, better, if you had me when I was a baby.” There were days when all she could think about was how everything would have been different for her if only her parents had been her biological parents. She was certain that she would not be so disposable and broken.

Rayne blinked. “Better? What do you mean ‘better’? There’s nothing wrong with you.”

The artist sniffled. “Then why do they always throw me away?”

“Oh, my little Leonardo, people are awful all too often and you have seen much too much of that side of humanity. There’s also the problem that all too often the wrong people get kids who need them and those people let those kids down. You were let down. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were wronged.”

Her throat began burning and tears stung her eyes, but she was able to keep them at bay. “I feel like I am wrong. I was made wrong or something. I mean, I can never keep a girlfriend, not that I really want to.”

“This is about Mallory.” Her mother was making a statement.

Poe screwed her face up. “What? Mallory doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Poe, I like to think that I know you fairly well, being your mother and all.” Rayne smiled softly. “I know that was Mallory at the expo and I saw your heart break when you realized that she was there with that man. And I saw it shatter when she pulled away from you.”

“My heart --” Poe growled, biting off her own sentence.

“Is in tethers,” her mother chimed in, holding Poe just a little tighter. “It happens, my precious child. But, her walking away from you wasn’t your fault. That was her fault and she walked away from something spectacular.”

“But, I must’ve done something!”

“Tell me what you could’ve possibly done,” her mother requested in a soft tone, petting Poe’s head to help keep her calm.

Poe took a deep breath and thought on for a couple of minutes. “Maybe I should’ve paid more attention to her. I mean, I was more into soccer than her … well, she thought, anyway. I mean, I was just teasing her. Dad told me girls don’t like that. Why the hell would I do that?” Her voice cracked at the end.

Rayne clicked her tongue in admonishment. “Hey, no swearing. Now, did you ignore her when soccer was on?”

Poe scrunched her face up because she was not sure how to answer that question. “Well, yeah and no. I mean, I thought it was like a game that we played. But, maybe I was being stupid and immature.”

“I doubt that was it, Poe. That sounds rather benign. Is that all?”

Poe could feel her brow furrowing deeply as she searched her mind. “Well, I never have food that goes together. She never eats at my place unless we order out. In fact, my place is always like a dump, even when I think it’s clean and my bed isn’t even really a bed. I don’t even a TV for her to watch when she’s there and I’m painting! I don’t pay enough attention to her either because if she is at my house, I spend a lot of time painting or writing and, at her house, I watch soccer! I just don’t do anything, Mom! Why would she want to be with someone that doesn’t do anything? You say she didn’t deserve me, but I didn’t deserve her. I am not special.”

“That is not true!” Rayne practically roared.

The sound was so startling that Poe had no choice, but to look at her mother. She was pinned by the intense, boiling expression. Her mother cupped her face with both hands and it was impossible to look away.

“You listen to me, you are special. Not only are you an individual, different from the rest by sheer beautiful personality, but you are a best-selling author and brilliant painter. You’re kind and loving to the people that you let in. And we know how blessed we are that you let us in.”

“Obviously, Mallory disagreed,” Poe grumbled.

“Maybe, but there could be other reasons for her actions.”

That earned a snort. “Oh, yeah? Well, she didn’t tell me. Instead, she just cut me off, like an extra finger.” A deep scowl dug into Poe’s face.

Rayne nodded. “All right, but maybe she didn’t tell you because it actually has nothing to do with you.”

Her tan face twisted. “What? How could it have nothing to do with me and she left me?”

“Well, I mean, maybe something inside of her caused her to pull away. You shouldn’t assume it’s something that has to do with you or how you act. It could be something inside of her. People are like that sometimes.”

Silently, Poe wondered if that were true, but she could not see how something was wrong with Mallory. The redhead always seemed fine to her, almost normal, not counting some of the things she liked to do in bed. She could not figure out what could possibly be wrong with Mallory that caused her to dump Poe … dump as a friend. Poe decided that her mother was just trying to spare her feelings.

“Mom?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it okay if I stay here for a few days?” The writer thought that she might be able to sort through her inner torment in the comfortable environment, and if not, her brother and father were there to distract her for her problems.

Rayne smiled. “Of course, it is. You don’t have to ask. This is your home, no matter what. You’re always welcomed here.”

That was one absolute Poe knew in life and it brought her some comfort. She should be able to get her head together at home, piece together whatever was left inside of her, and fill in the void. It always worked. Home cured all of her ills.

“You ready for some home cooked food?” her mother asked with a teasing smile.

Poe laughed a little while nodding. She got out of bed and stretched to buy herself some alone time while her mother went to make breakfast. Taking a deep breath, she did her best to fortify herself and then she went and spent the day with her family. For a while, she was able to put Mallory out of her mind, but as she settled in for bed again, she stared at her phone. Before she knew it, she was dialing. The voice mail picked up and her stomach grinded against itself. She decided to leave a message.

“Just tell me what I did wrong,” she begged in a small voice that practically clawed its way out of her mouth before disconnecting the call.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory sighed as she dragged her weary body into her apartment. Her hair hurt and the sunshine felt like it burnt her flesh. She told herself that the aches came from Lord Corben and his kinks, but she was used to that for the most part. A traitorous part of her whispered heartache and empathetic pain from the ruptured expression in her favorite brown eyes that haunted her; that would probably haunt her always and forever, the voice added.

“I don’t care,” she said aloud, if only to make it true. Unfortunately, she did not know what she did not care about. “I don’t care about …” she growled as she realized that she could not rip that lie from her throat. “I don’t care,” shemumbled on her way to the shower. She allowed almost scolding hot water to rain down on her for over an hour, used her favorite soap, favorite shampoo, and her favorite lotion, believing that the combination should ultimately soothe her body and soul. It did little for her mental or physical agonies. _I probably just need some sleep_. So, she crawled into bed after putting on her favorite pajamas. It took a long while for slumber to take hold.

She was drawn from her sleep by the sound of her personal cell phone. The ring tone let her know it was Poe. She groaned as her stomach sank and twisted and her ribs felt like they were caving in. She reached for the phone despite her brain telling her not to, but she did have the presence of mind to not answer the phone. Soon, the noise ceased.

Sighing, she relaxed back into her pillow only to notice a light on her phone. She groaned again as she realized Poe left her a voice mail. Staring at her phone, she contemplated what to do for what seemed like an eternity. _What did she say? What does she want? What if she forgives me? Worse, what if she screams at me? Worst of all, what if she forgives me?_

A lump formed in her throat and her stomach did that twist thing again. Her ribs now felt like they were jabbing her heart and lungs. It hurt to breathe. She feared that she might throw up, so she sat up, which turned out to be a bad idea. The lump in her throat was accompanied by a burning sensation that was becoming a little too familiar for her liking. Swallowing did not help and she almost ruined her favorite bed spread, which she had put on her bed the day after she made her decision about Poe.

“I made a decision. I made a decision,” she growled and focused on her phone. “I made a decision.” She pulled up her voice mail and deleted the message from Poe. “I made a decision.”

Putting her phone down, she dropped back onto her pillow. She turned onto her side and closed her eyes. She was not surprised that sleep did not come. Her stomach refused to calm down, her throat continued to burn, she still could not breathe, and, dammit, her eyes stung with the promise of tears.

“I’ll be damned if I’m going to cry. This is bullshit,” she snarled and then sniffled.

Gritting her teeth, she lay there, tense and determined not to cry. Eventually, that exhausted her and she passed out. When she woke up, she found that her body still ached and her stomach was still rearranging itself. Her throat and lungs decided that they were going to have a bonfire, which made it painful to inhale and exhale. Frowning, she dragged herself to the bathroom for a hot, hopefully relaxing shower.

“Head in the game. You have a date tonight.”

She had booked most of her month with dates, to avoid Poe. _To distract yourself from the absence of Poe_ , a horrible voice in the back of her mind said. She growled again and shook her head to get rid of that traitorous whisper. She wanted to believe that she would be fine once she got into her Scarlet persona, but Scarlet felt her pain, too. Going out on her date, underneath her act and the activities, she still felt off, felt like wounds were bleeding and festering inside of her. She was not sure what she was going to do and had to consciously remind herself to pay attention to her date.

-8-8-8-8-

While Mallory was torn up inside and wanted nothing more to forget, she did have the presence of mind to stay sober with her date. _But, now, I need a fucking drink!_ It had to do what her favorite things, work, and a hot shower could not, which was suppress her memories of Poe and stop the sharp ache stabbing at her entire being. She reached for a drink the second that she came home and did not stop until she was passed out on the sofa.

The shrill sound of her phone ringing cracked through her intoxicated snores and pounded on her brain, rousing her from a dead sleep. The noise cut into her head like an ice pick through the ear. She moaned like a zombie in need of brains. The groaning turned to growling as bloodshot eyes scanned the dark apartment for her cell phone. Nothing was in focus for a moment; the whole place seemed like one big blur of brown. Blinking helped clear her vision for her to at least know that she was still at home and not in a cave. She could not find the accursed device from the comfort of her couch, so she got up to look around. She discovered the phone on her kitchen counter just in time to miss a call from her sister.

“Dammit,” she frowned while calling back. She was not in the mood to talk with anyone, but if her family had taught her nothing else, it might be an emergency. Growing up, she and her siblings had broken more than their fair share of bones and her little niece was already showing signs of being just like them.

“Hey, Mal,” her sister greeted her in a warm tone.

“Hey, Meg. Everything’s okay, right?” Of course, the fact that her sister had not answered the phone in a panic was a huge clue, but she needed to be sure.

“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine, except that my kids haven’t seen their favorite aunt in way too long. I’m hoping you’ll be back before Thanksgiving, but if not, at least tell me we’ll see you then.”

Mallory groaned and palmed her face, as if hiding from shame. “I know, I know. I’ll definitely be there for Thanksgiving, but I’ll try to come before that. How about this weekend?” she suddenly offered. She was all too aware that she needed to do something different with her time before hurt and despair consumed her. She was all too aware that being passed-out drunk was not a good sign, especially when she had not quit drinking not too long ago. _Next thing I know, I’ll smoking again, which definitely isn’t good_.

“Great! You’ll be able to see Kelly in her judo class! She’ll love it! Hell, you’ll love it,” Meghan declared with confidence.

Mallory laughed, despite it hurting her head and chest. “I would. I can just imagine her being a little Tasmanian devil in class.”

“She’s a riot.”

A fond smile curled onto Mallory’s face. “I’ll bet. You were the same when we were going.” 

Meghan chuckled. “And you were so serious about it, showing everyone how you’d kick their asses. We’ve always been opposites, despite being Mom’s Irish twins.”

Their mother lovingly referred to them as her “Irish twins” because they were born ten months apart; Mallory had shown up a month earlier than she was supposed to. They had been always been sort of opposites from each other, but close at the same time. Usually, they wanted to do the same things, but went about those things in different ways. Mallory always threw her all into something, taking it on as if it was the only thing she would ever do. Meghan, while giving it her all, also threw out theories of a million other things they could do once they were finished. 

“You got all of the insanity,” Mallory argued.

“You got all of the boring, strange intense calm,” Meghan countered.

“I’m not boring or strangely intense. I just make sure to keep my focus when I’m doing something rather than already thinking about the next thing. I’d also rather be at a museum than diving out of a plane.”

“News flash, that’s boring. Thank god you’re outgoing or I’d assume we weren’t really related.”

Mallory snorted. “Mom hasn’t told you that you’re adopted yet?”

“Oh, please, we all know you’re Dad’s love child by some other woman. All those pictures where Mom claims that she’s pregnant with you, she’s actually pregnant with me, which is why I’m never in them.”

“Conceded much? If anything you just proved that you’re the love child.”

Meghan scoffed. “I’m too cute to even be related to Dad.”

Mallory laughed. “Dad is too ugly to related to any of us.”

“Ricky looks a bit like Dad.”

“Poor little guy.”

“Yeah, but you’ll see when you come this weekend.”

Mallory agreed. The sisters spoke for a bit longer before Mallory had to get ready for a date. Sighing, she disconnected the call and resisted the urge to have another drink. _If anything, I need to sober up_. She went to get ready for another night of pain and suffering. Of course, that had nothing to do with her date.

-8-8-8-8-

The weekend was upon her and Mallory had to fight to keep from praising God for the reprieve. She itched to see her family, especially her niece and nephew. Even though she took a long time between visits, she loved hanging out with her niece. Smiling, she took a cab for the hour long trip. The thought of being on a bus or train that long did not sit well with her. She brought an overnight bag in case things went well.

Her brightest smile instantly appeared on her face as the car pulled up to its destination. She gave the driver the money, along with an awesome tip for making the drive in forty-five minutes. He seemed as delighted as she was and actually tipped his hat to her as she exited the vehicle. For a moment, she just stared at her childhood home, a well-groomed front yard with a huge tree that she and her siblings used to climb all the time; in fact, her brother had fallen out of it and broke is arm when he was younger. A warmth filled her for the first time in a long time and she marched to the two-story home.

“Hey, Mom, Dad, or some other member of my family that might be here,” Mallory called with happiness in her voice as she stepped into the foyer.

“Aunt Mallory!” her niece, Kelly, practically howled as she charged out of the kitchen. She was already in her judo uniform, even though her match was not for another three hours.

“Hello, my sweet, little goober,” Mallory grinned as she bent down and snatched up the little blond into a tight hug.

“You’re gonna watch me do judo? I’m gonna win a trophy like you and Mommy!” Kelly dragged, pointing at her grandparents’ glass display bureau. It was full of trophies and ribbons that came from raising competitive and athletic children. Meghan had certainly passed that on to Kelly.

Mallory laughed. “You better! I traveled so far to see you, so you can’t lose!” She tickled the little girl for good measure.

Kelly’s cerulean eyes shined as she burst into a fit of giggles. “Mommy! Aunt Mallory started already!”

“You little tattletale!” Mallory’s fingers worked even faster. Kelly squealed and tried to slide out of her aunt’s grip. Mallory held tighter. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Mommy!” Kelly continued to try to escape, but she was only six. She was too small to do anything, except take the torture until her aunt released her.

The little blond retreated back into the kitchen as soon as she could. Mallory left her bag by the door on the dark hardwood floor and followed her niece to the kitchen, where her entire family was located. Kelly was hiding behind her mother, who was standing by the counter.

“I’m surprised she remembered who you were to let you play with her,” Meghan remarked with a teasing smile.

Mallory rolled her eyes as she went to hug her older sister. With them standing next to each other, it was easy to see why their mom really referred to them as twins. They could easily pass for each other, except that Meghan’s eyes were green instead of blue. Meghan was slightly shorter, but it was almost impossible to see unless they were standing next to each other. They also shared the same body type, even though Meghan had two children. The older redhead was so active that she lost her pregnancy weight easily.

“Glad you could finally join us mere mortals,” Mallory’s brother remarked as he stepped up to engulf her in a hug.

Shaun was taller than Mallory and different from his sisters in coloring. He was darker with broad shoulders and dark brown hair. He shared an eye color with Mallory, which made him a heartbreaker. Mallory would not be surprised if women literally fell into his lap, especially when he flashed his elfish smile that showcased his dimples.

Mallory pretended to fan herself. “It was a great deal of trouble to descend from the heavens to be here.”

“Well, it’s good to have you here,” her mother declared, moving in for the next hug.

Her mother, Shani, was the brunette of her parents and the one with green eyes. She was tall, but not quite her daughters’ height. She also gave Mallory an idea of what she and Meghan would look like if they did not work out, which was skinnier than she liked.

“Mom, you need to eat! Is Dad still starving you?” Mallory teased with a light laugh.

Her mother chuckled and swatted at her child. “Oh, you.”

“I think Dad still keeps her locked in the basement when we’re not around,” Meghan joked.

“Is that what the chains are for?” Shaun chimed in.

“I hope that’s what they’re for,” Mallory laughed. “Or we’re all going to be scarred for life.”

“Really funny, kids. Don’t encourage her,” her father grumbled, swatting at his son, as he walked over to embrace her.

Her father, Marcus, was the parent that she inherited all of her coloring from. He kept his red hair short, plus he had a beard. He was wide and brawny, which was where Shaun got his build from. Mallory often thought that if bar fighting was an occupation, her father would have had the body for the job and probably made a good living at it.

“Which one of us are you talking about?” Mallory remarked with a smirk.

Her father punched her “lightly” in the shoulder; it was light to her in the sense that she was used to his strength and the fact that he thought he raised three boys. She was certain that he would have knocked any other person over with the “tap” he gave her. She smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. He shook his head at her.

Mallory greeted her brother-in-law, Patrick. He was a pretty boy blond with a good heart and he had no problem with Meghan being Meghan, which said a lot about him because she was the definition of a spitfire. But, his ability to tolerate Meghan was why the family adored him. He was holding Patrick Junior, better known as Ricky.

“Hold your nephew before I have to tell you off about not visiting him,” Patrick teased as he slid the baby in her arms.

Mallory smiled as the baby settled against her. She could see that her mother had been greatly exaggerating about his ability to run. He was only eight months old with a crown of auburn hair and curious green eyes. He was so much bigger than what she remembered, though. He stared at his aunt, as if trying to figure out who she was. She was just thankful that he did not cry.

“Sorry for not coming by so often, little guy. I’ll try to make up to you,” she whispered as she bounced the baby in her arms. He smiled and cooed, as if taking her at her word.

The family hung out, catching up and shooting the breeze. Mallory was grateful that her mother did not bring up her “friend” at any point. She assumed her mother accepted her explanation of Poe being a friend. The thought of Poe made her heart clench and a lump tried to raise in her throat, but she made sure to swallow it down. She put on her bravest face for her family because she _wanted_ to enjoy herself, even if she had to force it.

Mallory put on a happy face as the whole family merrily left to watch children beat the crap out of each other in judo. Kelly did well as expected and enjoyed winning a trophy. Mallory cheered the loudest throughout the event.

“Hey, let’s take the champ out for dinner!” Mallory suggested, holding her niece on her shoulders.

“Yeah!” Kelly agreed.

“Sounds good,” Meghan agreed, but she gave Mallory an odd look. Mallory might have been able to ignore it if only their mother did not give her the same look. She gulped and prayed that they were just upset with her spoiling her niece.

“Then let’s stop standing around talking about it and go get it done,” Shaun declared with a grin.

The family laughed and went off for an early dinner. Kelly made sure everyone they saw knew that she had won her trophy in judo. It made a lot of people pause and rethink their cooing comments of “such an adorable little girl!” Kelly corrected them, anyway, because she refused to be adorable or cute.

“I am the champion! A winner!” Kelly proclaimed, standing in her seat and holding up her little trophy. Shani was the one that forced her to sit down while the rest of the family laughed and acted as if that was perfectly normal.

“Meg, that is definitely your kid. Let’s get this winner whatever she wants and then some ice cream and cake!” Mallory said.

Meghan gave her a look, but she did not say anything. The time out was full of delightful conversation, funny stories, happy laughter, embarrassing old memories, and new embarrassing memories because Kelly refused to just sit down and talk. Mallory was sure her mother was reliving old nightmares as she tried to keep her granddaughter under control. The energy proved so high that Kelly was asleep as they started back for Mallory’s parents’ home.

“She’s down for the count,” Shaun laughed as he carried Kelly up to Meghan’s room.

“Thanks, Shaun,” Meghan said as she slid a sleeping Ricky into his father’s arms. She then turned to Mallory. “Let’s go on the porch for a second.”

Mallory arched an eyebrow, but shrugged and followed her sister outside. It was dark and the quaint neighborhood was quiet already. She inhaled deeply for the first time in what seemed like eternity and she took in the smell of her youth. The place still smelled the same and she knew it should give her some relief, put some balm on her soul, but it did nothing. Mallory stared out into the streets, wondering how she had come so far from the girl that used to ride her bike up and down these same streets. _Would the kid-me be horrified to know she grows up into me?_

“Mallory, are you okay?” Meghan inquired, putting her hand on her shoulder.

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Mallory countered.

“Because I’ve been watching you try to act fine all day. You’re not doing a good job, which says a lot because you’re a good actor and I’m usually thicker than this. So, what’s the problem? Mom said you met a girl.”

A growl escaped Mallory as she frowned. “Of course, she did. Did she mention the girl was just a friend?” _Fuck! Mom probably didn’t say anything because she thought I’d talk about when I was ready!_

“No, because no one is just a friend for you once you start mentioning them. Remember when you casually mentioned Benjamin Walters? We never heard you talk about hanging out with a boy until him. You ended up going to his senior prom. Of course, after that, we never heard you talk about him again, except to point out that he liked older women and you hoped he ended up with someone Grandma’s age.” They both snickered at the memory.

“He did marry a chick about twenty years older than him, though.”

“And then next year you were talking about hanging out with Elizabeth Jacobs. You ended up going to your senior prom with her. It takes a lot for you to get comfortable with a person and hang out with them.”

“You make it sound like I don’t date or something,” the younger sister grumbled.

“No, I know you date. You’re too gorgeous not to date and you know you’re fucking hot. None of us are shy, but you’re different with people you like. You let them in. It bit you in the ass a couple of times, but it happens to all of us. Mom seemed to think you let her in. But, if that were the case, you wouldn’t seem as upset as you do now. Unless, of course, this came back and bit you in the ass. You’re not yourself. What’s wrong?” Meghan pressed.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

A loud scoff was Meghan’s first response. “Bullshit. Come on, tell me what happened.”

Mallory growled again, but not as loudly because that damned lump was back in her throat. Her stomach twisted, her heart clenched, and the worst sensation joined in -- that damned burning in her lungs. It was like her whole chest was on fire and she could not breathe at all. _Oh, god, what if I’m dying?_

“I gotta sit down.” Mallory practically fell into one the wooden chairs on the porch. She closed her eyes as she tried her damnedest to suck in air, but it never seemed to reach where it needed to go.

Meghan sat down next to her sister and stared at Mallory with concerned eyes. She put her hand on Mallory’s knee and gave the younger redhead a gentle rub. A green eye opened and she could see that Meghan was not sure what to do.

“Mal, do you need a doctor?” the older sister asked.

Mallory shook her head and was surprised that the question chased off the worst of her afflictions. Precious oxygen reached her lungs, enough for her to sigh. She leaned forward and put her head between her knees for a moment, hoping to steady her breathing. Once she sat up, she left her head down, bowed in defeat. As she gave up the fight, she felt some of the tension in her body ease. _I do need to talk about this_.

“A few months ago, I met a girl named Poe. She’s a sweet little thing, a kid really, seven years my junior actually. We never really did anything special. We hung out, like friends. Before I knew it, she was under my skin,” Mallory sighed again. She could remember her whispered plea of “stay” as if it happened hours ago and longed for it to only be hours ago.

“What happened?” Meghan asked. 

“I screwed up after I panicked. I’ve never felt what I feel for her. I thought I had felt it before and I thought she could hurt me, but this was something so beyond anything I can even describe to you. It was amazing, but subtle and terrifying all at the same time. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I tried to suppress it and force it away, force her away.”

Meghan groaned. “Kinda a bonehead move.” 

“It gets worse. She’s an artist and invited me to an art show right before I started ignoring her. I then went to the art show with a guy after ignoring her for a couple of weeks. We even went to her booth, looked at her paintings. Hell, I think the guy bought one. It’s kind of a blur. I do remember the worst of it, though. She reached out for me and I pulled away.” Mallory winced as she realized all that she had done. _Hell, maybe I should have literally pulled a knife, stabbed her in the heart, and then twist it a few times_.

“Okay, wow. Yeah, you didn’t do this half-assed in any way. So, now what?”

She shook her head and scratched her forehead. “That’s what I’ve been wondering. I’m actually miserable without her.” 

Meghan nodded and got a resolved look in her eyes that usually meant trouble. “Then there’s only one thing  to do.”

Mallory arched an eyebrow. “What?”

“Get her back, you big dummy.” Meghan smacked Mallory on the back rather harshly.

The younger sister scoffed. “You say that like it’s so damned simple. Poe has major trust issues. You think I don’t let people in? Poe is a fucking pro at this, a damn vault. She’ll never trust me enough for us to go back to how it was. I betrayed her.”

Meghan frowned. “What the hell? Since when do you just fucking give up? How about you fucking try first?”

Mallory scowled in return and was about to blow up on her sister, but realized that Meghan was right. They were not the type to sit around and be miserable. They went after whatever brought them joy and held onto those things like hoarders.

Mallory chuckled. “I definitely should do something about it.”

“Hell, yeah, you do. Jump on it and let us know how it works out, so we can stop worrying … or worry more.” Meghan laughed to show that last part was a joke. 

Mallory laughed, too. “You’ll have to wish me luck. She can be stubborn.”

“So can you. Hopefully, since you’re older, you’ve had more practice at getting what you want.”

A smile spread across Mallory’s face. She hoped that was true. The simple feel of hope helped her feel better. She was able to genuinely enjoy her family after that.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe sighed as she tossed down a paintbrush and rubbed her head. She ignored Nadi, who was sitting on her couch and burning a hole in the back of her head with her gaze. Poe focused on the canvas, fighting the temptation to toss it out of the window. She would definitely junk it, as she had her last couple of paintings.

“Let’s just go do something else,” Nadi proposed. She had been trying get Poe out for four days.

“No, I need to get something done,” Poe replied. Painting was a bust, to the point where the smell of the paint was beginning to turn her stomach, so she would try writing again. She hoped that the click of her computer keyboard did not start driving her mad as it had yesterday.

“You can’t force it. We both know that. I’m free for the night. Let’s do something. We could just go to a movie or something.”

Poe scratched her head. “I think I just went to watch some soccer.”

“On your laptop?” Nadi guessed. They could not go to Nadi’s house because she promised Justin quiet time to let him paint and, if Justin was serious about one thing in his life, it was his need for silence while working.

“No, I don’t belong to any sites that’ll let me watch soccer.”

Nadi sighed. “You can’t keep living like this, Poe. You have to commit to something and settle on something.”

Poe waved Nadi off, especially since she knew those words were deliberate. There was no point to do any of that because she just had no plans to stay anywhere. Home was a two hour bus ride away and that would always be home. She was just passing through anywhere else.

“Come on,” Nadi said, almost whining at that point. She approached Poe and slid an arm around the artist’s waist, pulling Poe close to her. “Let’s go out and have fun!” 

Poe ducked her head. “Do you really think I’ll be any fun right now?”

Nadi offered her a teasing smile. “To be honest, you’re not fun point blank at any time and never have been.”

The writer could not help laughing. Nadi took that as a victory and pulled Poe toward the door. Poe decided not to resist.

-8-8-8-8-

After a night of Nadi trying to cheer her up, Poe really needed some soccer. It was not that she did not like or appreciate what her friend did; it was just exhausting to be around Nadi for a whole day and not because of the arguing or forcefulness. Nadi just had a ton of energy and she expected Poe to have the same. Poe needed to unwind. She went to Goodies for the first time in a long time. The bar was almost empty since it was after midnight on a weekday. She found a booth with no problem.

“It’s good to see you again, my dear,” Leander greeted her a warm smile.

She smiled back at the middle-aged gentlemen. “Nice to see you, too, sir. Do you think I can get some fries and a root beer?”

“Of course,” he replied and went to fill her order.

When the bar owner returned, he sat with her for a while, which Poe did not mind. It had been a long time since she could talk about the game with someone other than her father. Eventually, he had business to tend to and she was alone again, which suited her just fine. There was one television playing a soccer match, which did not move her, but she refused to think about why that was.

There was peace and order in her world, as long as she pretended there was anyway, until she noticed Mallory enter the bar and she could not pretend any longer. _What the fuck? Can my luck really be this horrible?_ She scrunched herself up in the booth and tucked herself into a ball to avoid being seen. Of course, that did not work. Mallory seemed to have radar for her, turning in Poe’s direction as soon as she got to the bar.

“Poe,” the way Mallory said her name, pleading and full of emotion, forced Poe to her feet. She ignored the fact that it felt like everything feel out of her. She just needed to get away. The writer tried to make a break for the door, but Mallory blocked her path. “Poe, please, I just want to talk with you,” the redhead implored as she reached for the younger woman’s hand.

“No!” Poe roared, snatching her hand back as if Mallory had seared her flesh. She hoped that Mallory now knew a fraction of the pain that she experienced when the redhead pulled away from her.

“Poe!”

The artist literally ran off before Mallory could say anything. She ducked into the nearest alley, wanting to lose Mallory in case the redhead followed her. Eventually, she went back to her apartment because it did not occur to her to go somewhere else.

“Took you long enough,” Mallory remarked. She wore one of her smartass smirks and Poe was surprised at how badly she desired to tear Mallory’s lips off.

Poe could feel her jaw hit the floor. “What the hell? How did you get in here?”

“You left the window by the fire escape open. It’s easy to break in. Poe, I really want to talk,” the older woman begged.

“Well, I don’t want to talk!” Poe roared, hot tears already stinging her eyes and her chest heaving. “I wanted to talk for almost a month and you didn’t care! You ignored me, so now I’m ignoring you! You don’t exist to me anymore, so you can just get the hell out!” She pointed to the door, so the redhead did not show the world how accessible her apartment for a second time that night.

Mallory did not seem to get it as she began moving toward Poe. The inability to listen caused Poe to snap. _I’m sick of being treated like an object that can be taken out, played with, and put back at everyone’s fucking leisure!_

“I’m not your fucking toy!” Poe hollered and she was throwing a punch before she even realized it. The artist was seeing red and felt nothing more than the rage at the idea that Mallory thought she could just use Poe.

Mallory proved to have good reflexes and blocked the punch, but Poe kept coming. A series of punches were capped off with a roundhouse kick that sent Mallory skidding across the floor. The redhead was up in a flash and Poe was in her face just as quickly. Any mention of talking was totally forgotten. Mallory began countering and attacking, trying to push back and even ground the shorter woman. Poe continued to try to force the redhead to leave, attempting to either subdue her or get her to the door to simply throw her out. Soon, they were sweating, growling, and fighting like bitter enemies.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the aftermath of this contest of wills.


	11. Love

11: Love

Mallory could not believe Poe was seriously fighting her, but she supposed it showed just how much pain she had caused the younger woman, how far she had allowed their relationship – if it could ever be called that – to decay. Poe would rather beat her face in than talk things over with her now. _What the hell did I do to her? How badly have I truly fucked up?_ Despite those thoughts, or maybe because of them, Mallory refused to give up. She needed Poe in her life, and a small part of her hoped that Poe needed her, too. 

“Poe, please, just listen,” Mallory implored as she blocked another series of punches. Her forearms were beginning to sting. _She’s not pulling these things or anything!_

“No!” the writer barked as she spun into another roundhouse kick.

Mallory hissed as the kick landed against her side and pain ripped through her. Instinctively, she pushed Poe back. Of course, that seemed to piss Poe off and she came back with a vengeance. Mallory feared that Poe might hurt her or, even worse, she might actually have to hurt Poe to get her to stop. _That might be too much damage to repair, if this isn’t already beyond anything I can do_. 

“Poe, please!” the redhead begged.

Poe did not seem to even hear that one, not even blinking to the words. Instead, she continued her furious advance, trying to break something if only she could get a direct hit in. Mallory considered grabbing Poe into a judo hold, but doubted that she could get away with it without hurting the younger woman, especially with the fight that burned in Poe. She needed another way to subdue Poe, a way that did not involve violence or injuring the younger woman, so they could finally talk and she could hopefully get her friend back. _I doubt we could be more than friends if this is Poe’s reaction to wanting to talk, but I still have to try_.

She had a difficult time thinking as Poe pushed her back deeper into the loft. She might end up wrapped up in the curtains that hid the bedroom from the rest of the apartment and then Poe would wail on her for sure. _Wait, the bedroom? I might be able to do something, after all!_

“Poe,” she tried one more time only to get the same result. There was no getting through to outraged artist. Mallory figured she would just have to go through with her plan. 

Not wanting to be obvious and needing to defend herself anyway, Mallory blocked Poe’s punches and managed to dodge any kicks that came her way. She also had to give ground while making certain that she did not end up tangled in curtains. _I hope this works._

Mallory successfully backed into the room without losing her advantage. She ducked a kick and fell back the edge of the bed, which was just where she wanted to be. Before hopping to her feet, she retrieved a pair of handcuffs lined with black fur. She hid them from Poe’s view, not that the artist would have noticed since she was all about trying to take Mallory’s head off of her shoulders. 

The redhead dipped and ducked several punches, but eventually was taken down by a hit that she did not see. She was surprised to find herself on her back, but she was thankfully on the futon. Poe leaned down, still trying to come at her.

Mallory grabbed the tight fist when it was a breath away from her face. She slapped the cuff on the tanned wrist and yanked the younger woman forward. Poe yelped. _God, that noise was cute._ Mallory quickly shook that thought away and focused on her current situation.

Poe growled and yanked, trying to pull back. Mallory countered and tugged with her full force. The smaller woman fell forward as Mallory snapped the other end of the cuff to the wooden frame. Poe pulled back and seemed incredibly surprised that she could not get up. She let loose a guttural scream.

“Damn you, Mallory! Let me the fuck go!” Poe ordered, hovering above the redhead on the bed.

“Not until we talk,” Mallory replied.

Poe snarled. “No! I don’t want to talk!” She yanked powerfully at the chain, shaking the light bed frame.

Mallory’s brow furrowed. “Stop pulling before you break the bed.”

“I don’t care! I don’t fucking care! Let me go and get the hell out!” Poe was roaring and turning bright scarlet in the face. If she was not careful, she might actually pass out from lack of oxygen.

Mallory put her hand around Poe’s waist, almost purring for the delightful feel of those hard muscles. _God, I’ve missed this, missed the feel of her. Maybe she’s the same._ She began gently massaging Poe’s side and, sure enough, she felt the artist relax slightly, undoubtedly subconsciously. Suddenly, Poe snarled.

“Stop touching me! Leave!” Poe ordered, her voice a little weaker now, but her face was still pure scarlet. 

“I can’t do that,” Mallory answered honestly. There was no way that she could stop touching Poe now that she had started.

A sob escaped the writer and she dipped her head, but not before Mallory witnessed a tear slide down her cheek. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she implored, her voice cracking.

Mallory’s heart broke as she realized that she was tormenting Poe, but it could not be helped. She just needed Poe to hear her out. She caressed Poe’s side tenderly, hoping it would get her to calm down.

“I can’t,” Mallory answered, her voice almost a mangled whisper, shredded by wretched despair and bleeding hope. “I can’t because I tried and it didn’t work. You scared me so much, Poe. I didn’t know what to do …”

“So you throw me away? Abandon me? I’m not some toy you can pick up and put down at your leisure!” The shout was hoarse and crackling. Tears slid down tan cheeks.

Mallory reached up and gently wiped away the tears with her thumb. “I know you’re not and I never thought you were.”

“I was a cuddle toy to you! A sex toy!” Poe sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut so tight that Mallory was afraid she would tear her eyelids.

“No! You were not and I don’t want you to think such nonsense! I cared about you! I _care_ about you! I was the idiot for letting you go! I was the one that couldn’t handle it! I was the one that got scared and ran away! I was the stupid one!”

Chocolate eyes opened with a flooded fury. “No shit! Now, you can leave! I don’t want to see you ever again!” She yanked on the bed once more, moving them with the light frame.

Mallory gave her a sad smile, tears now sliding down her pale cheeks. “You don’t mean that, but I’m sorry I pushed you to the point that you feel the need to say that. I’m sorry for all of this, Poe. I’m sorry I didn’t handle this like an adult, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt before, and I’m sorry for hurting you so badly. I was stupid.”

“Yes, you were, so now be smart and leave!” Poe yanked at the cuffs again, shaking the whole bed again.

“Stop pulling or you’ll break your bed,” Mallory sternly warned the younger woman. “Poe, I want to be with you. I … I think … I think I love you,” her voice quivered with the confession. 

Poe scoffed loudly, but her tears continued to pour down in a blazing storm. “Why would you even say something so stupid?” she demanded.

“It’s not stupid! I love you! I loved you then and it scared the shit out of me!” Mallory screamed, tears falling as hard as her lover’s were. “I was so scared! I didn’t know what to do! I didn’t know what to do with these feelings. I didn’t know you would affect my life, but I was so afraid that you’d turn my life upside down and I wasn’t ready to deal with that.”

“And now you’re ready? Well, maybe _I_ don’t care! Maybe I’ve moved on! Maybe I don’t need or want you anymore! Maybe I don’t even believe your bullshit!” Poe hollered. Her face was so red now that she appeared to be on fire. She was panting, failing to get enough air into her lungs.

Mallory gave Poe a sorrowful smile. She moved, adjusting her body, so that Poe was settled in between her thighs. Both hands were now on Poe’s sides, stroking her, trying and succeeding to calm the younger woman down. Poe’s breathing seemed to become more under control and she did not have to worry about the little author passing out.

“I understand if you just want to scream and yell and vent. Do that all you want, but don’t doubt my feelings for you and don’t doubt how genuine my love for you is. I made a mistake and if you’ve really moved on, I respect that, but your eyes don’t tell me that. Your tears and anger don’t tell me that and the way you’re responding to my touch doesn’t tell me that,” Mallory stated in a soft tone.

Poe sniffled and shifted, trying to move, but the handcuffs and Mallory’s body prevented much motion. Mallory reached one hand up and petted her head. Poe was able to dodge that. 

“No! You don’t get to hurt me and then caress my head! Only my mom can rub my head now! No one else will ever get to touch me like that ever again!” More hot, fat tears poured out of Poe’s eyes. 

The redhead swallowed a bit. _I’ve hurt her to the point where she won’t let another soul give her her most cherished, comforting touch? I’ve never felt like such a monster before_. Her chest tightened a bit at the knowledge and she had to take a few breaths before replying.

“Okay, I won’t rub your head. But, please, know that I’m so sorry that I hurt you so much. You’re so wonderful and you make me feel so good. I just did not know what to do with all of these emotions. Please, believe me,” Mallory implored, pushing her body up just a bit. She stared into watery brown eyes briefly, seeing just as many emotions as she was currently experiencing. Pressing forward, she gave Poe perhaps the sweetest kiss that she could possibly muster.

For a long second, Poe was cold and unwavering. Mallory was almost tempted to pull back and accept that she had made the biggest mistake of her life, a mistake that she feared would haunt her for the rest of her life. But, suddenly, Poe melted into her. Those delicious, precious lips returned her kiss, moving gently, fondly against her mouth. It was almost innocent, but seemed to go on for a grand eternity. As they pulled apart for air, Poe lowered herself onto Mallory.

“You say you love me. Can you prove it?” Poe asked in a low, almost frightened whisper. Her lips trembled, causing her voice to quiver.

“I’ll damn sure try,” Mallory vowed.

She pushed herself up to give the artist another, more passionate kiss. As she pulled away, she slid away from the younger woman. Poe whimpered and Mallory wanted to do the same, body begging to stay as close to Poe as possible.

“I’m going to get the key. I don’t want to do anything like this,” Mallory said, eyeing the handcuffs.

Poe nodded. “I forgot you left these here.” She then looked at the cuffs disdainfully.

Mallory did not respond. She knew from the way Poe looked at the bonds, they would not be using them again anytime soon. _I have to earn that trust back. Damn, I’m so fucking stupid! What the fuck is wrong with me? What kind of moron throws away the best thing in her life?_ While mentally berating herself, the redhead released Poe from the cuffs, which fell to the floor with a soft clank.

“Poe …” Mallory whispered as the author rose to her feet. She half-expected Poe to attack her again, especially when she reached out for the shorter woman.

Thankfully, Poe did not begin a new onslaught, nor did she flinch or dodge when Mallory made initial contact with her. Mallory pulled them together and held Poe against her, savoring the feel of Poe. She inhaled the scent of Poe and sighed as a honeyed smell filled her, calmed her, and set her on fire at the same time.

“You’re so special to me,” Mallory said before capturing Poe’s mouth in another torrid, soft, and sensual kiss. Her world righted herself when Poe kissed her back. Her spirit soared when Poe returned the embraced and moaned slightly from their connection.

When they broke apart for air, Mallory caressed Poe through her clothes, enjoying the feel of Poe even more. Her fingertips itched to dance across the hard muscles under worn cotton. _I need to feel more of her!_ She started slow, easing her hands underneath Poe’s shirt. Poe did not protest, so Mallory guessed it was all right. A low groan escaped both of them as Mallory’s fingers and palms pressed against hot flesh.

“You feel so good, Poe,” Mallory said as she caressed Poe’s tight abdomen.

“You just like me for my body,” Poe remarked with a slight smirk.

Mallory chuckled, but wanted to be sure that they were on the same page and understood there was so much more to like, to love. “Oh, no, Poe. I like you for more reasons than I could ever count. You’re gifted and talented. Brilliant with a touch of shining innocence. You know me and let me know you. You let me be myself –”

Poe silenced Mallory with a passionate kiss. Mallory responded and her hands clutched at Poe, trying to hold more of her. Before they pulled away, Mallory’s hands wandered up Poe’s torso and massaged her small, perky breasts, which hung freely. Kneading the tender flesh caused Mallory to groan again.

“I love it when you don’t wear a bra,” Mallory said against Poe’s lush lips.

“Show me,” Poe said, speaking right into Mallory’s mouth. Her breath tasted so good!

The redhead moaned loudly at the notion and palmed Poe in both hands. Caressing soft skin made Mallory whimper and whine. Poe echoed the sound and Mallory swallowed it, reveling in the taste of the noise. It lit a blazing fire in her belly and her body burned like an erupting volcano for Poe.

“I need you so much!” the older woman hissed, feeling like she might jump out of her skin if she could not be with her love right now.

“Show me,” Poe repeated.

Mallory decided that talk was cheap, even though she liked talking in bed. She eased Poe’s shirt off and her mouth drifted to Poe’s neck, kissing and licking warm, scrumptious skin. Poe moaned and clutched her shoulders, fingers digging in and her nails biting into pale skin, leaving angry red marks, but making Mallory want her all the more.

The redhead gently directed Poe down onto the bed, her mouth refusing to leave Poe’s body. Mallory followed her down, sitting beside her. She then took one of Poe’s hands from her shoulder and put it to the hem of her shirt.

Pulling away, Mallory looked Poe in the eye, drowning in the dark umber and never wanting to be saved. “You’re my lifeline. I need you.”

Poe smiled and kissed her adoringly while pulling her shirt off. Mallory had to fight back tears as Poe’s knowledgeable hands glided across her quivering stomach. When those gentle, yet powerful hands brushed against the undersides of her heavy breasts, Mallory nearly forgot what she was supposed to be doing. The redhead was supposed to be the one on the quest to prove herself. She was supposed to show that she was worthy of her lady. She had to lead.

Mallory moved her mouth from Poe’s in order to enjoy every other tasty bit of the artist. Taking juicy nips of Poe’s strong shoulder, Mallory marched slowly across and down the expanse of Poe’s tanned, toned torso. As she got to prized hills, she kissed each treasure with care while applying enough pressure for Poe to know to lie down.

Poe settled on the mattress while Mallory remained occupied with her breasts. Mallory’s hands and mouth fell on Poe as if trying to cautiously unlock some great mystery and she was determined to solve the unsolvable. She discovered one gem atop the heaving hill and teased it with the tip of her tongue. Poe whimpered and her hand went to Mallory’s hair, wanting the older woman to take more of her into her mouth.

Mallory gave Poe just what she wanted, wrapping her lips around the burnt sienna jewel and suckled as if it held the key to immortality. Poe cried out and her back bowed, pushing more of her delicious skin into Mallory’s hungry mouth. Mallory flicked and licked on the distended gem while her fingers glorified its twin.

“You taste so good,” Mallory said as she pulled away, just to switch sides, wanting to keep all things equal.

Poe moaned. “You’re good at that.”

Mallory only smiled to herself and applied more pressure. Poe wiggled beneath her, tossing about as if Mallory were driving her mad. The artist did not seem to know what to do with her hands, clawing at the bed in one instance, clutching Mallory the next, and caressing Mallory’s body after a while. The redhead took that as a good sign. She doubted that anyone else could or would ever make Poe feel the way that she did.

“How you doing, Poe?” Mallory asked. The writer whimpered as she realized Mallory’s mouth left her.

“More, please. I want more,” Poe answered in a raw breath.

“Anything you want, baby. I will give you anything you want.”

Mallory reached for the button on Poe’s jeans and opened her pants with no problem. She pulled them down as much as she could with one hand and then had to pull back for a moment. She disrobed Poe as swiftly as she could without tearing the pants or hurting the artist.

“You too,” the younger woman said.

A smile curled onto Mallory’s face and hoped that she was interpreting the words correctly. She stripped out of her pants and shoes, standing before Poe naked. Poe looked on with interest, which Mallory was used to and finally understood why Poe often stared. Poe was not just admiring her, but studying her with an artist eye.

“Do you like what you see?” Mallory asked with a smirk. 

Poe nodded. “You’re inspiring.”

Mallory’s smirk transformed into a genuine smile at the sincere compliment. “Poe, you’re so real.” She could not think of a better way to put it and in her world of acting, make-believe, pretense, and pure fantasy, she could think of no better compliment.

Poe smiled, which Mallory took as Poe understanding how great that was. The redhead turned her attention back to Poe’s body. She began at Poe’s feet, which were small and cared for. She kissed both heels and then all ten, surprisingly manicured toes before moving up to the ankles. Each kiss drew her higher and pulled captivating, wondrous sounds from Poe.

Mallory’s hands roamed Poe’s body slowly with no real destination in mind, just taking in all glory that was the love of her life. Her lips touched each of Poe’s knees before moving up to strong, tense thighs. Her tongue came out as she nuzzled Poe’s right thigh. She tasted the tangy essence of her love and it caused her to inhale, wanting, _needing_ to experience Poe with all five senses.

The redhead felt infused with Poe, energized and sustained by the younger woman. Her kisses became wetter and Poe followed suit, giving her more to eventually drink up. She nipped and nibbled on both thighs as she slowly moved, leaving several marks in her wake. Poe lifted her leg onto Mallory shoulder, silently begging for more. Wanting more of that sharp, sugary taste, Mallory obliged her.

Poe screamed and arched as Mallory’s lips embraced her pleasure center. The redhead’s tongue lapped up the cherished honey dripping down Poe’s legs. It sounded as if Poe wept from the attention, so Mallory gazed upward as best she could. Poe’s face was flushed and her mouth moving, spouting sheer nonsense as Mallory loved her.

Mallory’s mouth could not get enough of Poe and her hands felt the same. She inhaled deeply as she imagined the grand sounds that Poe would make when her hands and mouth worked in tandem. The deep breath caused her to smell more of her love and she was almost overwhelmed, dizzy from such delight.

Caressing every inch of Poe that she could reach, Mallory’s hands eventually moved back to Poe’s wonderful breasts. They fit in Mallory’s hands as if they had been made for her. _True treasures._ She had never taken the time to focus on what she liked about Poe’s body beyond the muscles, but, god, her small breasts were perfect. _But, her taste is really heaven._

Mallory adjusted her mouth to have more of Poe, who was grinding against her face now. The redhead moaned as she moved a hand to Poe’s hip to try to keep her under control. She feasted on Poe like there had never been a finer meal and Poe put a hand to her head, trying to pull her closer only made her hungry for more.

With her mouth being richly busy, Mallory worked on breathing through her nose, so she took in more of the fine scent of her woman. _My woman_ , her brain growled. The thought, along with the aroma, made her lightheaded again. But, she still needed more. She needed to hear more, feel more, experience more.

One of her hands smoothly descended from a breast, floating down to join her mouth. She shuddered, as did Poe, when her index finger glided through sleek heat. A whimper and moan bounced off the walls, driving Mallory close to mad, as she slipped into Poe. Mallory’s mind was spinning. Nothing mattered now. The world began and ended in Poe.

All too soon the end came up on them with her tongue pressed against Poe and two fingers buried deep. Poe’s hand fisted in Mallory’s hair and the artist screamed to the high heavens. Mallory almost passed out it felt like all of her senses were hit by a tsunami named Poe.

The redhead almost burst with pride as Poe fell to the mattress, panting as if she had run a mile. Mallory smirked as she sat up to look at her handiwork. Poe was covered in a sheen, a beautiful layer of sweat. Her hair was draped over her shoulders and the little lilac streak was stuck to her forehead. The whole image beckoned Mallory to cuddle up to her, wanting to feel Poe against her. She moved slowly, in case Poe actually did not Mallory near her.

Poe let Mallory snuggle into her, but she did not return the embrace. Mallory knew that was a bad sign and her heart was starting to sink already. She grabbed for Poe’s hand and played with her fingers, but Poe did not respond.

“Poe, does that prove it?” Mallory asked with a hopeful smile. They had just made love for the first time.

The sorrowful smile that cracked through Poe’s features broke Mallory’s heart into a million tiny pieces. _I blew it. I really blew it. I messed up the best thing in my life_.

“Mallory, you know me. You know me better than anyone, even my own parents. Could this possibly be enough to prove it?” Poe countered in a low voice.

Mallory frowned and ground her teeth together briefly. The truth was a bitch with a harsh bite that she did not want to face. She refused to respond. Poe fondly caressed her cheek and she had to will her eyes not to tear.

“Mallory, I know sex is important to you, but we both know sex alone isn’t going to be enough to prove anything to me beyond you like having sex with me,” Poe pointed out.

“But, this was more than sex. I know you felt it,” Mallory argued, unable to hold back a whimper.

There was that sad smile again. “I feel so many emotions with you, most of them are extraordinary. That’s why you were able to hurt me badly. Mallory, I’ve spent most of my life craving acceptance, a home, and people that love me. I’ve found it once, but before that I had already been burned dozens of times. My parents had a hell of a time getting into my heart, but you … It’s almost scary how you sneaked in. You slipped by every defense almost effortlessly.”

“I wouldn’t say effortlessly.”

“Okay, maybe subtly. You weren’t really trying to get in, but you did.”

Mallory sniffled. “You weren’t trying either and you made it through all of my defenses, too.”

“I know.” Poe actually kissed the top of her head. “Neither of us realized what was happening.”

“No …”

“But, the second you realized what happened, your first instinct was to abandon me, not embrace me. Your first instinct was to run rather than stay,” Poe stated coldly and Mallory cried, holding onto Poe tightly now.

“I’ll stay now!” the redhead promised.

“Now is too late. I can’t trust you not to abandon me again, reject me again. I can’t trust you.”

Mallory scowled. “Oh, but you can sleep with me? Give me false hope?” she demanded.

Poe shook her head. “All hope is false. It’s a desire for things to change with no effort on your part. You want to be upset with me for sleeping with you? How about you try being ignored by the woman you love for two weeks only to see her by the side of a random, creepy man at the most important event of your year instead of by your side and she won’t even acknowledge you? Better still, reach out for her and have her pull away without even bothering to look at you. Try that and see how easily you could trust her again.”

That familiar lump was back in Mallory’s throat and she could not talk around it. Even if she could talk, the burning in her lungs let her know that she would not be able to say much due to lack of air. It did not matter anyway because she was speechless. She did not know what to say, could not defend herself, because Poe had a point. She should have known that it would take more than sex, even if it was the sweetest love that she had ever made. Poe was so much more complicated than that.

“I’m sorry for everything,” Mallory sniffled, a tear ghosting down her face.

“Me, too,” Poe sighed as a melancholic cloud seemed to devour the room.

-8-8-8-8-

Sitting alone on her couch, Poe stared off into nothingness. The apartment was dark with all of the lights off and empty as Mallory had left hours ago, tears stinging both of their eyes. There was a void inside of her, darker than the darkest abyss and it was ever expanding, without Mallory. Unfortunately, she knew that the void would continue to exist with Mallory because there was no way that she could ever trust Mallory again.

Groaning, Poe hid her face in both hands and scratched the top of head. “I should feel better knowing she came to me after all of this, but I don’t. I feel worse. It was like she expected it to be so easy, expected me to be so easy. Poor little orphan girl that’ll jump at the chance to be loved, even if I have to be hurt while it’s happening.” She scoffed. “Get the fuck outta here with that. She’s about sixteen years too late for me to jump that easily.”

Of course, she had been tempted to fall for the pretty words and tears, especially through the haze of that fantastic orgasm. But, she could feel the ripping pain of Mallory ignoring her, pulling away from her, and she knew that she would never forget it. Every time she looked at Mallory, possibly even thought about Mallory, she would remember that torturous ache. She would remember and withdraw.

“I’ll never love her again,” Poe believed. Because without trust, how could there be love?

Poe was not sure what to do with herself now. Brooding and trying to justify things to herself were only making her feel worse. She knew that she could not use art as her outlet as she had been blocked on both of her passions for quite a while now.

“Because of Mallory,” she knew. Or, at least, because of her feelings for Mallory, both the good and the bad.

She thought of the saying that it was better to have loved and lost, wondering if it applied to her. All she knew was that she felt terrible now and quite possibly would have traded in all of her good times with Mallory since she was in the same space now as before. Well, physically anyway.

“I may never be the same emotionally again,” Poe lamented.

She was not sure if she liked that idea or not. She hated knowing that she would sit there and try to figure it out. She also was more than aware that no matter how much she thought on it, she would never figure anything out. She did not even know what “it” was. Her emotions? Her love? Mallory’s love? Their relationship or lack thereof? Their time together? Any or all of the above? She did not know.

“Was this what Nadi and my parents wanted for me when they tell me to find someone? Someone else in my life to get sick of me and drop me like a hot brick?” Poe grumbled.

She began to recognize that she might be in over her head. She did not know what to do with everything. Tearing herself off of the sofa, she searched the apartment for her cell phone. For whatever reason, the phone was in the bathroom. She called Nadi.

“Poe, what’s up?” Nadi answered the phone.

“Um …” Poe scratched her head. “Good question. Uh … I think I need you to come here.”

“Come? Poe, is everything all right?” Nadi asked and Poe could hear noise in the background that indicated her friend was rushing about her apartment.

“Nadi, it’s not too serious!”

“It has to be! You never say you need me! Usually, you act like you could and would prefer to live without me. What the hell happened? Was it that bitch Mallory again? I swear I will fucking murder her!” Nadi thundered, storming about her place. Poe hoped that Justin was not trying to paint.

“Nadi, calm down,” Poe said.

“I will not! I’ll see you in ten minutes!”

The call was disconnected before Poe could say anything else. The artist sighed and stared at her phone, not sure what to do, not even sure why she had called her best friend. She returned to the sofa and waited. Nadi was knocking at her door exactly ten minutes later. She burst into the loft all fury and righteous indignation.

“I swear I’ll whip that bitch’s ass if she’s hurt you again!” Nadi hollered, throwing her elegant arms around.

“Nadi, calm it down, please. It’s not that serious,” Poe insisted, moving to intercept her friend.

“So says you! The woman pulls your heart out and stomps all over it! And you just want me to be calm? To hell with that! You’re my best friend, Poe! You’re the closest thing I have to a sister! I don’t like anybody hurting you, especially like this!”

Poe offered her friend a small, appreciative smile. Nadi surprised her by yanking her into a hug. It broke something inside of Poe and she found herself weeping for the second time in a twenty-four hour period. Nadi held her tightly, as she always would.

“I lost this with her!” Poe wailed.

“Mallory?” Nadi asked.

“She apologized and was so sweet. She even said she loved me! But, I can’t ever believe she’ll always hold me like I know you will!”

“Poe, you know you’re like my family. Of course, I’m always going to be there for you. So, tell me about what happened with Mallory?”

Poe nodded as Nadi led her to the sofa. They sat down and Nadi was patient as Poe finished crying. She then explained everything about Mallory’s visit, including the sex, which caused her to weep again.

“I felt so many emotions during …” Poe sniffled, wiping her nose with her hand. “But, I still had to turn her away! How could I trust her, Nadi? How could I ever believe in her again?”

Nadi gave her smile. “I’m so sorry for you, Poe. You love her.”

“How can I love her when I can never trust her again?”

“Poe, trust can come back. Now, I don’t like Mallory because of how she treated you recently, but you pointed out that she was scared and I can look past her bad behavior if you really want me, too. I can do that for you.” 

Poe sighed, shoulders slumping. “I don’t know what I want or what to do. Can trust come back?”

Nadi smiled again and rested her forehead against Poe’s. Poe could only wonder why that touching her head always soothed her. She supposed it had something to do with her mom. Her mother’s touch was the first constant, caring touch and Rayne always went for the head.

“Trust can come back. I know you haven’t had that experience because most people in your life suck,” Nadi conceded.

“Do you think Mallory’s one of those people that suck?”

Nadi thought on it for a long moment. “There’s a chance, but there’s also a chance that she was sincere. You have to ask yourself if she’s worth the risk. Which one weighs more on the grand scale of things: the way you feel when you’re with her versus the pain that she can inflict on you if she decides to be an ass?”

Poe opened her mouth, but decided to not say anything. She thought on it. Mallory made her feel something beyond amazing when everything was all right. In fact, Poe was sure that heaven could not hold a candle to how Mallory made her feel when everything was all right, but Mallory also could make her feel beyond awful, almost wishing that she was dead. _Is the risk worth it? She dropped me, but came to pick me up again and she meant it, not like I was some toy. She was sincere._

“Nadi, what would you do?” Poe asked with watery brown eyes. “I mean, is my action not normal or was that the right way? What should I do?”

“Poe, there’s no ‘right way’ or ‘normal’ when it comes to relationships. It’s all relative. What is normal for you? What is normal for your relationship? What are you willing to put out there for her? Are you willing to put anything out there now?”

Poe nodded, even though she was not saying that she she was ready to put anything out there. “She was …”

“When she came here, she did risk something. You know how much she risked much more than I do. Is it something that stops and make you think?” Nadi asked curiously.

Poe scratched her head. “Well, yeah, which is why I thought about it. Mallory has a lot of pride and she admitted that she made a mistake in ignoring me. I know that took a lot of courage on her part.”

Nadi twisted her mouth up. “It sounds like you might want to give her another chance.”

“It does, doesn’t it? Did I blow it with her?” Poe asked with a frown.

Nadi offered her a small smile. “Poe, if she’s serious about things and about you, she’ll be back. I think you did the best thing because you are unsure. You shouldn’t jump into something with her if you’re not sure. Don’t take her back unless you’re sure or that’ll just make things worse.”

Poe nodded. “Do you think I can be sure?”

“Well, she’s really the first friend I’ve ever seen you make on your own. That’s huge, Poe. I’ve never seen you do that, especially without a fight. Hell, for us to be friends, you had to attack me and I had to use you to get closer to your mother. You refused to talk around Justin for six months!” Nadi reminded her with a laugh. 

Poe chuckled a bit, too. “I had to make sure he was cool.”

Nadi scoffed. “My point is that you don’t let people in. You let Mallory in. That says something to me. I don’t want you to punish yourself because she made one mistake. I mean, it was a huge mistake, but I think you can recover if you’re both serious about your feelings.”

Poe nodded. “I’m glad I called you.”

Nadi smiled. “I’m glad you did,too.”

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory groaned as she put her drink down on her coffee table. The glass was mostly full. She had taken a sip and her stomach had clenched, refusing anymore. She felt sick, heartsick, and she did not know what to do about it. Her cell phone happened to catch her eye and she was calling her sister before she even realized the phone was in her hand.

“Hey, ugly,” Meghan greeted her sister with a smile in her voice.

Mallory laughed. “You shouldn’t insult yourself like that.”

“I know, which is why I insulted you. But, enough of that. What’s up? You just missed the kids.”

“That’s okay. I was calling to talk to you, anyway.”

“Okay, what’s up?” Meghan repeated.

“It’s Poe.”

“The younger woman you’re head over heels for? What happened? Did you start trying to woo her back to you?”

“I tried, but I don’t think I’ll be successful. Meghan, I did worse than dump her and hurt her. I lost her trust. She’s grown up almost never trusting people because she’s been hurt so many times. She shut herself off, but she let me in and I hurt her just like everyone else. She said she’ll never trust me again,” Mallory reported with a sigh.

“Never is a bit much. I mean, do you know how long never is? Do you think she loves you?”

“She said not anymore because she doesn’t trust me.”

“Well, I call bullshit. I think you need to prove to her that you’re different from the people that hurt her before. You’re not like them. You made one mistake and you’ll do your best to make up for it.”

Mallory’s brow furrowed. “That’ll work?”

“It worked on me. Back when we were first dating, Patrick was still in touch with an old girlfriend and I found text messages between them. Some of them were a little racy. I was hurt and we had a big blow out. I broke up with him, told him to go back to her if she was the one he wanted, and a bunch of other stuff. It wasn’t pretty.”

Mallory sat up, as if that would keep her from missing the great wisdom from her sister. “So, how did he win you back?” her voice trembled.

Meghan giggled, actually giggled like a gossiping schoolgirl. “First, after a few days, he came to see me, in tears. He cried about how much I meant to him and how stupid he was to play around with a girl he didn’t even have feelings for anymore. He deleted her number and text thread right there, in front of me.”

“You didn’t let him off that easily.”

Meghan scoffed. “Of course not! But, he knew that and he remained in action. He didn’t look at any girl but me for like a year. We went on expensive dates, he bought me gifts all the time, and he listened carefully to everything I said to surprise me often. He went out of his way to show me I was special. We even went rock climbing one time.”

“Isn’t Patrick afraid of heights?”

“Exactly! He knew it I wanted to rock climb and did it with me despite his crippling fear. Of course, he damn near fainted when we were barely ten feet off the ground and we had to turn around, but he tried. You need to make her feel like she’s special.”

Mallory nodded to herself. “Show her that I’m not ready to give up and I can make up for being an idiot.”

“Not to mention, she’s worth it. You have to let her know that you can and will protect her heart. But, don’t be a stalker about it.”

“Well, duh,” Mallory deadpanned.

“Hey, don’t get smart with me when you need my help!” Meghan laughed.

“Can’t help what I am.”

“Let me know how this goes, Mal. I’m rooting for you. You definitely should’ve been domesticated before me.”

Mallory laughed. “I think all things have happened in the proper order.” _I’m milking this job for a little longer, until I can figure out what to do with myself._

“If you say so. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” The call was disconnected and Mallory began thinking of a plan of attack. Operation “Get Poe back” was about to be on.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Mallory does what she can to try to win Poe back, with a minor setback or two.

A/N: I have drawn a picture of Mallory and Poe. It’s [here](http://starvinglunatic.deviantart.com/art/Mallory-and-Poe-cozy-348709301). Here's the [line art](http://starvinglunatic.deviantart.com/art/Mallory-and-Poe-lineart-346711096) for it.


	12. No Place Like It

12: No Place Like It

Poe had decided to give up on painting and writing for a while because everything that flowed from her made no sense, mixing sorrow and agony with hope and elation. It would not have been so terrible if the amalgamations at least were eye pleasing in some way or sent a message that made something close to sense. Instead, everything was a jumble torrent of strange emotion that would only cause a person to wonder what was going on. To her, her work all just looked like they had been swept up in a hurricane and only resembled art. She needed some time to clear her head.

“Or maybe I need to stop thinking. I dunno. I need something,” she muttered to herself as she fled her apartment.

She went down to Goodies to drown her mind in soccer and junk food. Leander sat with her for a while, making a friendly wage on one match. Poe lost ten dollars. She could only laugh, but the expression did not reach her eyes, yet it sounded hearty enough. She did not dwell on the strange sensation, losing herself in more sport. Returning home in dire need of her bed, Poe was surprised to find a pile of roses waiting on her couch. They were all red, except for one in the center that had a violet-colored rose, very close to the color that streaked down through Poe’s inky mane. There was a card resting on top of the bouquet.

“I know you told me not to break in again, but I was careful. I hope the roses find you well. Make sure you eat more than that garbage at Goodies,” the card said.

Poe scoffed and showed the card what was really garbage.She flung the card into the trash with all of her might. She went to her fridge, just to eat more junk food. She was in for another surprise. There was food container with a card on top on it.

“Home made. Please eat this before you just throw something together that shouldn’t be together,” the card told her.

Poe frowned, but pulled out the food container anyway. She popped it open and her mouth dropped open. While she did not really have a favorite food, there were things that she enjoyed, but rarely ate. Salmon steak with brown fried rice and steamed vegetables. Her stomach growled and her mouth watered.

“I guess I’m eating this. Doesn’t make sense for it to go to waste,” Poe figured as she put the food in the oven to heat. “A microwave probably would come in handy right now.” She glanced at the kitchen counter, which had more than enough room for a microwave. Her parents had bought her one when she first got the apartment, but it had broken and she never bothered to go out and get a new one.

The food did not take long to heat up and was absolutely delicious. It felt like it filled more than her stomach, but she shook that silly notion away. Sighing somewhat contently, she curled up in bed, even though she did not feel the least bit sleepy, and wondered what it all meant, if it meant anything. She decided to wait and see what else Mallory would do next.

“Maybe it’s like Nadi was saying, maybe Mallory is willing to try harder. Well, she’ll definitely have to try harder than some stupid flowers and a cold dinner,” Poe grunted. _I’m not that easy!_

She was not sure what it would take to get her to forgive and trust Mallory again. She wished that she had more experience in relationships to get a better understanding of what was going on, what was expected of her, and what she should expect. Reaching for her phone, she called Nadi.

“Poe, love you like a sister and all, but it’s two in the morning,” Nadi groaned.

“Is it? I just ate dinner,” Poe said, as if that made everything all right.

“Poe, you have no internal clock and day and night mean nothing to you. Is this important? I have to be up in three hours and rehearsing in four.”

“Mallory bought roses and left them on the couch. She made me dinner and left it in the fridge. What do I do?”

“Eat it if you haven’t already, put the roses in water, and wait for more goodies. You never give in on the first round of gifts. Goodnight.” The line went dead.

Poe shrugged. “She gives good advice at two in the morning.”

The artist scratched her head and went to take a shower. She fell asleep and passed the next day the same as the last few Mallory-less days with her trying to do something that seemed like art and failing miserably. She got a delivery of high-price art supplies that afternoon, brands that she normally purchased for herself. They were gift wrapped with a card bearing a simple message: _forgive me_. A plea, not a question.

“Not yet,” Poe muttered.

She was not sure when, but as more gifts arrived, Poe was surprised to find herself less inclined to do so. There was something about all of the things that was rubbing her the wrong way and the irritation got worse with each gift. She tensed whenever the bell rang and scowled whenever someone was at her door. When a television set arrived, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She did not even bother to read the card and very nearly cursed out the men that carried it up. She decided to save her fury for the right person, though.

Growling, Poe reached for her cell phone and dialed a number that she had not used in weeks. She did not even consider how odd it was that she still knew the number by heart. It barely rang before Mallory picked up. Poe was actually startled by this.

“Poe, are we back on speaking terms?” Mallory asked, hope burning her air.

“No, we are not! You think you can just buy my trust?” Poe roared, throwing her arm out, as if Mallory could see her.

The redhead gasped. “What? No! Of course not!” 

“Oh, yeah? Then why the hell would you buy me a fucking TV? You think I can’t afford a TV and that’s why I don’t have one? Are you fucking kidding me? Did it ever occur to you that I don’t have a TV because I don’t want one? I don’t have certain things because I don’t want them!”

“Uh … is this really about the TV or was that your way of saying you don’t want me?” Mallory inquired, sounding seriously perplexed.

Poe snarled. “It means you can’t fucking buy me! Don’t think that just because my apartment doesn’t have all of the luxuries that your condo has, it means I can’t afford them!”

Mallory sighed, dejectedly and sorrowfully. “Sweetheart, I’m not trying to buy you and I’m hurt that you’d think so little of me. You really don’t trust me at all anymore.”

The fact that it was a statement and not a question caused Poe to pause. She was certain that she could hear Mallory slipping away from her over the phone. Her chest tightened, gripped with fear and she realized something that made her stomach flip. _I’m not ready to lose her yet!_

Poe swallowed, weighing her next words. They came out smaller than she expected, but she was certain that would only help. “I don’t understand you anymore, Mallory. I don’t understand how I should feel about you and things that you do.”

The older woman was silent for a long moment. “I’m trying to fix that. I know you don’t have those things because you don’t want them, or at least that’s what you tell yourself. Poe, I wanted your apartment to feel more like home for you, so it would have things that you take comfort in. I wanted you to feel like you were living there, staying there, and that you could be yourself there.” Poe nodded, forgetting that they were on the phone, and then Mallory proved that she still knew the artist well. “You have to say something, Poe. I can’t see you nodding.”

An embarrassed blush rushed to Poe’s cheeks. “Sorry!” she yelped. “I’m just … I dunno, shocked, I guess.”

“I still care about you, Poe, despite how stupid I acted before. I want you to see how much I care and I want to take care of you. I want you to be in a space that relaxes you. I want you to see that you can be at home in more than one place and that you can count on me to be there for you.”

“You don’t hafta worry about me,” Poe grumbled petulantly.

“Don’t pout, especially when I can’t kiss away the cute expression. I don’t want to hurt you anymore, Poe. I don’t want to cause you any pain,” Mallory promised.

“I don’t want any more stuff. It doesn’t prove anything.”

“Okay. I promise I won’t send you any more stuff. What about the food? Has that been okay?” Mallory inquired, sounding just shy of begging.

The artist nodded eagerly and then again remembered that they were on the phone. “It’s good. I didn’t know you cooked because we usually get takeout.”

“Well, before I was just lazy. I’m glad you like it. Is it all right if I keep sending meals then?”

Poe was silent briefly and an honest response fumbled from her lips in a breath. “Yes, please.”

The conversation did not last much longer after that, but it definitely ended on a better note than it started. By the time they disconnected, Poe’s heart longed for more of Mallory’s sweet voice. She lightly rubbed the center of her chest.

“I wanna smile and cry at the same time,” Poe mumbled, not sure what to do with herself now.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory sighed as she stared at her cell phone. She was not sure how to take the call, but it seemed like a good thing. Poe had not ended it screaming as she had began it and she had admitted to liking the food that Mallory made for her. She figured that was as good as a green light to continue her atonement in some shape, even though she could not send goods to make Poe’s house a home.

“All right, what should I do now? I know I need to help Poe realize she can depend on me, count on me, and trust me. I want her to be able to have a home because I know she needs it and I know it’ll help her see me in a more positive light. So, if I can’t buy her things that help her place seem like a home, what can I do?” Mallory wondered aloud. “What can I do to help her realize she has a home? That I can be part of that home?”

The redhead went through a list of ideas that she already had and was now considerably shorter since Poe did not want her to buy things. She mentally berated herself for being so stupid as to think that Poe would go along with such presents. Poe would live on paper and pencils if she could, after all.

“But, she deserves so much more,” she sighed. “She deserves a loving home beyond her parents. I want to give that to her, if she’ll let me. How the hell do I do that?”

Shifting on the sofa, Mallory moved onto her back. She grabbed a notepad that she had been keeping on her coffee table and jotted down ideas of what she could do. _How can I give her a home if I can’t buy her stuff?_ She considered the things that Poe had liked and she felt like a light bulb went off in her head. Smiling, she quickly dropped the notepad and went to work.

“I hope this doesn’t blow up in my face,” Mallory muttered as she made her way to her bedroom. She practically leaped in her closet, grinning all the way. _Somebody once said, go big or go home_. _Maybe I can do both_.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe awoke with a start as her doorbell went off and she almost fell out of bed. Her hair was going at all angles, which she did not care about. She went to her intercom to find out who was there and was so surprised to hear Mallory’s voice that she buzzed her in. She met the redhead at the door.

“Mallory, what are you doing here?” Poe inquired with her face twisted. _Why does she have a duffel bag and suitcase? A big suitcase. Oh, my god, what if she’s leaving!_ Poe’s entire body felt like it was being shredded because of the conflicting emotions. 

“Um …” Mallory squinted, as if she were thinking on a response. She gripped the bar of her rolling suitcase tightly. “I wanted to try talking again before anything else, but it looks like you’re sleeping.”

“Yeah. Is it some weird time to be asleep?” Poe asked, rubbing her forehead.

“I think it depends. If you’re a five-year-old, eight at night is the perfect time to be asleep,” Mallory remarked with a snicker.

Poe scratched the top of her head now. “Eight? Well, at least it’s dark out.”

Mallory gave her a soft smile that made her blue eyes sparkle. “That is a step up for you.”

The artist countered with a small, lighthearted smile of her own. “Yeah, it is. Well, I guess you can come in since you’re here and all.” Poe stepped to the side, allowing Mallory entrance. She eyed the bags as Mallory passed her. _What’s she doing? Why all the stuff?_

Poe shut the door while Mallory stared around the space. There were boxes littering the floor; they housed the packages that Mallory had sent to her over the last couple of weeks. Sorrow flickered through deep blue eyes and Poe felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that she was the reason for the emotion. Shaking her head, she realized that she did not want to face Mallory now.

The writer needed time to get her head together. She could not talk to Mallory while feeling worried, guilty, or downright awful for the redhead or she might give in before she was ready to do so. She wanted to make sure that she made the right decision at the right time, so she needed to get her head together.

“I’m gonna go back to bed. I only went to sleep an hour ago and I’ve been up for the last couple of days,” Poe explained, causing her guest to face her.

“That’s fine. I’ll wait for you,” Mallory replied with a small, almost reassuring smile.

Poe nodded and retreated to her bedroom. She crawled back into bed and tried to figure out what she should do about Mallory just showing up. She suspected that she should be angry, but she was not. She was off balance, but not angry. She could not even begin to guess what she should do about the concern and trepidation that she was feeling over Mallory showing up with large bags. _What the hell do I do with any of this?!_

She was tempted to call Nadi, but did not want to chance Mallory hearing the conversation. _Dammit, what a time to actually need walls!_ She knew it was not very likely that she would get any answers for herself, but she actually wore herself thinking about it. She eventually fell back to sleep, wondering about what she should do. She could hear noises around the apartment in her sleep, but did not know what they were.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory sighed as she looked around at Poe’s apartment. No effort had been made to set anything up. She shook her head and began straightening up. She wondered how long it would take Poe to realize what she was up to and how she would react.

“I hope it is good reaction,” she muttered, but a trembling in gut told her that she feared how things could turn out, too.

She left her bags by the sofa and went to work on liberating appliances from boxes. _At least she opened the boxes to see what they were_. Of course, it would have been even better had Poe put them where they belonged, but that could work to her advantage.

She removed a toaster from a box and went to place it in the kitchen. She had been extremely surprised to find that Poe did not own a toaster when she had first stayed in the apartment long enough to go into the kitchen. She considered it a given to have a toaster, but one day when she had been craving a bit of toast and jam, she had almost thrown a tantrum to find Poe did not think the same as she did when it came to the appliance. Poe offering her bread with jam had not helped and she had refused to come back to the apartment for a while after that, always taking Poe to her place instead.

She had also purchased a teakettle because Poe did not have one. The strange girl would actually heat up water in the single pot that she owned. _Well, no more of that insanity. Also no more of this one pot bullshit either_. She had purchased a small pot set for the younger woman. Also, among the gifts was a George Foreman grill. Mallory just thought it was the sort of appliance that Poe would use because of the ease, but it sat in a half-open box just like everything else. Mallory sighed. _This is going to be an uphill battle_.

Mallory fought long and hard for a few of hours with setting up the kitchen and then began a new battle. She cooked a breakfast, knowing Poe would be up soon. She brought pancake batter and other items that she would need in her large suitcase. She knew that she could not trust Poe to have anything that she required to help her little plan along. When Poe rose, at the very random hour of eleven at night, breakfast was done and waiting on the counter.

“You cooked?” Poe asked while yawning as she exited her bedroom. She scratched the top of her wild hair. There were lines underneath her eyes and a frown marring her tempting lips that showed she had not gotten a good sleep.

“Midnight breakfast,” Mallory replied with a smile. She had to resist the urge to run her fingers through Poe’s hair.

“How’d you make pancakes?” the artist inquired, her voice was rough, which made her guest shiver. She cleared her throat a couple of times.

Mallory shrugged and smirked coyly. “A gal has to have some secrets.” Getting the eggs over in her duffel bag to make scrambled eggs was the real bitch. _I’ve got it bad, figuring out how to smuggle eggs in a fucking duffel bag_. _Not to mention her scratchy voice makes me hot. Something is seriously wrong with me_.

Poe nodded, but her focus was already on the food. Mallory just made a stack of pancakes with a plate of eggs and another plate with sausage because she was not sure how much Poe would eat. She had seen Poe devour helpings at restaurants and takeout, but she had never seen what Poe would do if she could make her own plate. She dared hope that she made enough. Poe, not being picky, grabbed the final clean plate; she had a set of four plates, four saucers, and four bowls.

“How many of these can I eat?” Poe inquired as she stood by the pancakes.

“Take as many as you want. I made it for you,” Mallory replied with a smile.

“To make talking easier?” the younger woman guessed.

Mallory sighed, forgetting that was the excuse used to gain entry to the apartment. _I might need some food for this, too_. She nodded to answer Poe’s question and waited for the artist to make her plate.

Poe grabbed six pancakes, over half of the eggs, and an equal amount of sausage. Mallory used the plate with the rest of the eggs to hold her food, getting two pancakes and two pieces of sausage. Poe poured syrup on her short stack and then looked at the bottle as if it had fallen from the sky into her hands.

“You brought syrup, too?” Poe inquired with an arched eyebrow.

“No, this you actually already had, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why,” Mallory remarked.

Poe’s forehead wrinkled cutely. “I wonder. Maybe I had some frozen waffles one time. Well, that, or I made some syrup sandwiches.”

Mallory laughed. “That’s old school.”

The writer shrugged and retreated to living room to eat on the couch since that was still the only place to sit. Mallory followed suit, but got up again for something to drink. She poured herself and Poe a glass of lemonade. She returned to find Poe through a third of pancakes.

“I think you’ll need this to make sure you don’t choke,” Mallory commented as she offered the lemonade to Poe.

“Oh, thanks.” A small smile adorned Poe’s face as she accepted the drink. “Did I have this in the fridge?”

Mallory scoffed. “Please, like you ever have anything beyond water and milk on its way to spoiling. Oh, and the occasional flat liter of soda.”

“Sometimes, I have sports drinks, too.”

Mallory chuckled. “I have yet to arrive for that occasion.”

“They’re there, sometimes,” Poe insisted and Mallory decided not to fight her on that.

They sat quietly for a while, just enjoying their meal. The redhead noted that every now and then Poe would look up at her. She wished that the younger woman would just start the conversation, if only so she could see if her plan had a shot. Thankfully, she did not have to wait long.

“So, I’m sorry for how I snapped at you before,” Poe apologized.

“It’s okay, Poe. I should’ve thought of a better way to do that. I definitely should’ve thought about how you would’ve taken it. My plan wasn’t well executed,” Mallory admitted, shaking her head ruefully.

Poe nodded. “I could’ve handled it better.”

The fact that Poe was willing to shoulder some of the responsibility was like music to Mallory’s soul. There was at least some part of Poe that still wanted her. She had to latch onto that part with a death grip and wiggle her way back into Poe’s heart.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” the younger woman asked.

“Well … I was wondering if it would be all right for me to take you out some time,” Mallory requested, which was entirely true. She would love to take Poe on a simple date again. Dinner and a movie sounded like heaven.

Brown eyes went down to her food, which she was almost done with. “I think it’s too soon for that.”

“I figured you’d say something like that, but I wanted to try. What can I do, Poe? I’m trying, but I need help. I don’t know what to do,” Mallory confessed, her voice cracked toward the end. She sniffled, forcing back tears. She was not going to cry because she knew that it would not help. She also did not want Poe think that she was trying to manipulate her, so she had to hold it together. _Get a hold of yourself before she throws you out!_

A small frown settled onto Poe’s face, but her focus remained on her food. “I dunno, Mallory. I don’t really know right now. I’m not saying nothing will work. I just don’t know what you can do to get us back to where we were. I don’t know if anything can be done to get us back there.”

The redhead nodded. “Maybe we don’t need to do that,” she muttered thoughtfully.

The words caused the artist to look at her guest and Poe’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? Are you … are we breaking up? Can we break up?”

Mallory smiled and tenderly patted Poe on the knee. “I don’t think we can break up because we were never really together, not officially anyway. But, it doesn’t matter because that’s not what I meant anyway. Maybe instead of trying to get back what we had, maybe we need to start over. I mean, we didn’t get off on the right foot, anyway.”

Poe looked even more confused, scratching her forehead and squinting, as if that would help her solve this complex puzzle. “We did well, I think anyway. I’m not an expert or anything, but we did okay. We took care of each other.”

“Eventually, but we started off with you hating me and then you being my date. Not really the beginning of a great romance.”

“I guess.”

“Making it worse, it started out being mostly about sex.” Mallory did not even want to admit that Poe had started out as just someone she could train and teach everything that she liked in bed while being built exactly the way Mallory pictured her dream lover. They definitely needed to start over.

There was a lull in the conversation. Mallory used that time to take Poe’s plate from her and carried it to the kitchen. She covered the leftover food and put it in the refrigerator while letting the dishes soak. She was certain that Poe would eventually make short work of the leftovers. She took her time with washing the dishes and eased her way back into the living room to find Poe sitting in front of a fresh canvas. Mallory sat quietly on the sofa and busied herself with a book, falling asleep with it in her hands. Her last conscious thought was wondering if Poe remembered that she was still there.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe was surprised to find herself able to put a little something on her canvas that did not look like a dog got into her paints. She lost herself in creating for a while and happened to turn to the couch, discovering Mallory in a dead sleep with a book on her chest. A smile settled on her face before she knew it.

She wondered if Mallory had been sleeping as poorly as she was. Something told her that was the case, even though Mallory had not moved or made a sound from her spot on the couch. She went to fetch a pillow for Mallory as well as a blanket. She eased the book out of Mallory’s hands and put the pillow under her head. She carefully made sure Mallory was covered from head to toe with the blanket.

Mallory cooed in her sleep as soon as she was covered. Poe leaned down and kissed Mallory’s forehead. A small, content-looking smile eased onto Mallory’s face while Poe fought back a giggle. She resisted the urge to caress a pale cheek, leaving Mallory to her slumber. The artist returned to her canvas and continued working, her brush flowing with ease and her colors mixing so well. It was as if her creativity had never abandoned her weeks ago. 

Soon, the sun was up and filling the room with light while the outside world came to life with the sounds of cars driving by. Poe heard Mallory get up and shuffle around the apartment, but she was in the middle of working and could not stop now to see what the redhead was up to. After all, she was not sure if she would ever be able to paint again if her block returned. She needed to get everything inside of her out while she had the chance.

Mallory did not disturb her for a while … she thought anyway. She was not sure about the time and as Nadi said, she had no internal clock really, but eventually Mallory appeared before her with a sandwich and some chips along with a soda. Poe blinked twice at the food presented to her.

“Uh … thank you,” she mumbled.

Mallory smiled at her. “No problem. You need to keep your strength up. I see you’re in a zone.”

Poe nodded as she accepted the food. Mallory leaned down and gave Poe a sweet kiss on the forehead before walking off to make herself busy. A smile worked its way onto the artist’s face as Mallory walked away. Poe ate, not even thinking about where the food came from since she knew that she did not have anything to make a sandwich in her apartment, and then returned to painting. She could hear Mallory puttering around the apartment, but did not bother to look up until she realized she needed to take a shower since she could smell herself over her paints. _Damn, I might have stink lines coming off of me if I can smell me like that_.

Rising from her seat, which she was surprised she did not stick to, Poe yawned and stretched. Her eyes roamed the apartment and she realized the noise had been Mallory cleaning up. There was a pile of broken up boxes waiting by the door and the contents of those boxes were in their proper places in the loft. She blinked at the surprise of it all. 

“Mallory, you didn’t have to do all of this,” Poe said when she remembered that she could talk.

The redhead waved her off. “I needed something to do. I hope you don’t mind. I know you didn’t want the stuff, but you hadn’t thrown it out either.”

“Uh … it’s fine.” Poe’s eyes wondered the apartment, settling on the television. It was not a large television, just 32 inches, but it was more than enough for her. Mallory had set up the television on a crate that Poe usually used to hold art debris. It was a couple of feet from the sofa. It really was fine, she realized. She was not angry or even upset over it. In fact, warmth slowly spread from her belly to every inch of her as she took in the older woman’s hard work.

“Okay, good. Ready for some dinner?” Mallory offered.

“You’re gonna make dinner?” Poe asked, not meaning to sound as pleased and hopeful as she did.

The older woman smiled. “Of course, we gotta eat, after all. So, are you ready?”

“I need to take a shower, but okay.”

“You shower and I’ll cook. The food should be ready by the time you get out.”

Poe nodded and went to take her shower. She showered and dressed, which took a little more than a half-hour. She returned to the outside of the apartment to the heavenly smell of dinner. She marched into the kitchen to see Mallory pulling bread out of the oven.

“Oh, spaghetti,” Poe chirped as she saw the plates already decked out with food. “Where’d this come from? Actually, where’d that sandwich come from that you made me earlier? I don’t have any sandwich meat or even bread for that matter.”

“Don’t worry about it. Do you want Parmesan cheese on it?”

Poe did not mean to light up the way that she did. “Yes, please!”

Mallory laughed and buttered the bread before putting the cheese on Poe’s pasta. She put a slice of toasted bread on Poe’s plate and handed the writer her food. Poe grinned and went to sit on the sofa to eat. Mallory followed, but did not sit down until she retrieved drinks for both of them.

“This is so good! I haven’t had real spaghetti for a long time,” Poe declared with her mouth full.

Mallory smiled proudly. “Good. I’m happy you like it.” Blue eyes drifted to the television ahead of them. “Want to watch a movie or something?”

“Uh … I don’t have any.” For the first time in a while, Poe felt bad for not having something.

“No, but you have a computer and internet.” The redhead nodded toward the small laptop.

Poe shrugged. Mallory grabbed Poe’s laptop from nearby and hooked it up to the television; the artist wondered where Mallory got the wires for that, but she did not ask. It took about ten minutes before Mallory had a movie playing on the television from the laptop. When Mallory settled back on the couch, even though she was on the opposite end, Poe found herself suddenly happy to have a television.

At the end of the movie, Mallory cleared their plates and scrubbed the dishes. Poe was tempted to help, but decided against it since there were only a few dishes and she did not want to be in the way. She returned to her painting, feeling something was up, but she could not figure out what just yet. In fact, she partially did not care because whatever was up allowed her to paint again.

She heard Mallory moving around again, but did not really look to see what she was doing. When all was silent, she turned to see Mallory asleep on the sofa again with the same book as last night on her chest. Poe went to cover her again and also went to bed after that.

The next morning, there was breakfast again. It was somewhat the same as yesterday actually. They ate, Poe painted while Mallory read, and they watched a movie during dinner. The only difference was that Poe had made herself a snack, using a cold pancake and some potatoes that had been in her fridge from before Mallory showed up. Mallory looked on with disgust and her face did get a bit green as Poe put ketchup on the potatoes and rolled them into the pancake. But, the redhead did not say anything.

The next day passed in a similar fashion. Poe knew something strange was going on, but continued to let it go, not bothering to try to figure out what it was. Why dwell on something that was not hurting her?

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory was surprised to have made it through a week without Poe kicking her out. She was not entirely sure if Poe realized that she had stayed there for a week. She was going to have to bring it to Poe’s attention, though, because she was out of clothes and they were out of food. Well, food that she could put together.

Now, she was in a tricky position. If she told Poe that she needed to leave for more clothes and such, she would call attention to the fact that she had unofficially moved in. She was not sure how the younger woman would react to that. On the flip side, she could not sneak out because she was not sure how Poe would react to that.

“If I have learned nothing else from this, it’s that talking is always better than running and I have to be honest to both of us,” Mallory decided.

The redhead stepped out of the kitchen, where she had been hiding to figure out what to do. She scanned the apartment for Poe, finding the younger woman on the couch. Poe was on her laptop, working on her next book. Mallory sat down next to her, confident enough to let their bodies touch. Poe did not flinch or pull away, which she took as a good sign.

“Poe, can we talk for a second?” the older woman requested.

“Yeah, sure,” Poe replied with a shrug and she set her computer down on the floor. Brown eyes then turned completely to Mallory and she needed to take a breath before speaking.

“Poe, I’m not sure if you’ve realized this, but I’ve been here for a week,” Mallory started.

Poe’s forehead wrinkled in thought and she blinked a couple of times. “It’s been a week?”

“Yeah, I’ve been here for a week. I wanted to stay from the moment that I showed up. I want you to see that I can be here for you. I can make you feel at home if you give me a chance. I can make us both feel better. I know it might take longer than a week, so I just want to know if you’re okay with me being here for as long as that takes or do you want me to just leave now?”

“Leave?” Poe yelped. Panic actually shot through those lovely chocolate eyes.

“Yes, do you want me to leave?”

Poe quickly began shaking her head. “No, you can stay. This week has been … nice.”

Mallory smiled and her heart settled to the proper timbre. She felt like she could breath easier now. “That’s good.” Now, she was sure that she could leave the apartment and Poe would allow her to come back in. “So, I need to leave.”

Brown eyes went wide and Poe’s mouth dropped open. “But, you just said!”

Mallory continued to smile and bravely took Poe into her arms. “I’m coming back. I need to go get clean clothes and we need more groceries. I can’t keep cooking if we don’t have the supplies.”

“I like your cooking,” Poe mumbled, nuzzling the redhead.

“And I like cooking for you. For that to continue, I need to go shopping. I should be back in a couple of hours. If you keep working, you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“I always notice when you’re gone. It makes my heart empty.”

 _Oh, god, that shouldn’t make me feel as good as it does, but she feels the same way I do!_ “I know what you mean, so I’ll definitely come back. We’ll have dinner and watch a movie, just like we’ve been doing and everything will be fine.”

Poe smiled and gave Mallory a sweet kiss on the cheek. After a hug, she departed for her apartment, taking her empty bags with her. She glanced back to see Poe watching her from the door.

“I could come,” Poe offered.

“No, you keep working. I’ll be right back,” Mallory replied. She needed Poe to see that she would come back on her own. She needed Poe to trust her.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory returned with tons of grocery bags and luggage packed with a great deal of her clothes. Poe was at the door waiting for her and she felt her insides melting. _This is best for both of us_. The only way the moment could have gotten sweeter to her was if Poe greeted her with a kiss, but she doubted that would happen any time soon. _No, I still have more work to go_ _before that stage, I’m sure_.

“Let me help with the bags,” Poe suggested, running out to grab as many grocery bags as she could. “This is a lot of stuff.”

“Yeah, it should keep us well fed for a few days, provided someone doesn’t start combining leftovers into Frankensteinian monsters,” Mallory teased. She was pleased when Poe smiled. 

They settled inside and Poe helped Mallory put the groceries away, cutely asking where items went in her own kitchen. The smile never left Poe’s face either, which put a smile on Mallory’s face. A pleasant air seemed to hang around the whole area while they were in the kitchen together. Mallory then cooked while Poe finished working. They had dinner and watched a movie. Poe even cuddled against Mallory.

“I could get use to this,” Mallory admitted in a low tone. Poe smiled and nodded while snuggling in closer.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: families are met.


	13. Bonded

13: Bonded

“What’s that buzzing noise?” Poe asked curiously as she paused her typing on her keyboard. She angled her head to listen for it again. “Mallory, do you hear that buzz?” She looked around curiously. She was sitting on the couch, resting against the redhead. 

“Yeah, what the hell is that?” Mallory wondered aloud as she put down the book that she was reading. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head. “Shit, that’s my cell phone.”

She rushed off to answer it, causing her lover to fall over. Poe yelped while Mallory realized that forgot where she had left the damned thing. She paused right in the middle of her stride and looked around.

“Have you seen my cell phone?” the redhead inquired with an arched eyebrow.

The painter shook her head as she repositioned herself on the sofa. “Nope. I didn’t even know you had your cell phone here.”

For her first week there, Mallory did not want Poe to remember that she had a cell phone. She had turned her work and personal cell phones off that first week to give Poe her undivided attention. After a couple of days, she had turned her personal cell phone back on, but not the one for work. She had charged it, but now she can’t remember what the hell she had done with it after unplugging it from the charger.

“What the hell did I do with it?” Mallory asked the air, which was just as helpful as asking Poe. She scratched her head as she tried to recall, but her cell phone had been the last thing on her mind for a while now.

Her eyes happened to fall on her bags and she vaguely recalled going into the bags earlier. She shrugged, figuring that was the best place to start looking. By the time she found the phone, it had stopped ringing. She scanned through it to see that she had missed a ton of calls, mostly from family.

“Shit. My family have put out a missing person’s report,” Mallory remarked to herself. She chuckled a bit.

“Did you find it?” Poe asked, not even looking up from her computer.

“Yeah, I missed a call from my sister. I completely forgot about this damned thing,” Mallory chuckled again.

“You haven’t used it since you came here,” Poe noted.

“Yeah, and my family have been blowing it up. I have to call somebody back before they send out the hounds,” the older woman remarked. _Although, I doubt they’ll be upset if I tell them why I haven’t answered the phone in over a week_.

Poe chuckled. “My parents would’ve kicked my door in by now if I didn’t answer my phone for a week.”

“You know, they might’ve done that. I need to ask if they did,” Mallory muttered quite seriously.

She stepped into the bathroom for some privacy, and also just in case yelling was involved. She did not want to disturb Poe with her possible loud family drama. She sat down on the edge of the tub as she called her sister back.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Mallory! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you for the past three goddamn days!” Meghan screamed. “Mom is one hour away from sending Dad and Shaun to your place while praying to God that they don’t find your fucking body!”

Mallory made a face and could only wonder how things were about to come to that. “Sorry! Geez, when did she first call me?”

“Like five days ago. I was able to talk her out of calling the cops when you didn’t answer the first eight calls. You’re lucky I knew you were focused on getting your girl back or I’d have been right with her. Now, where the hell have you been?” the older sister demanded.

Mallory smiled, grinned really. “Getting my girl back.” ‘ _My girl.’ I like the sound of that_. A giddy feeling traveled up and down her spin.

Meghan actually cheered. “Atta girl! What did you do?”

“Moved in.”

“You moved in?” her sister asked incredulously.

“Well, kind of. I need her to see that she can depend on me.”

“That is fucking crazy! You’re fucking crazy! You, the one who has been burned enough to not go on third dates with people you really like now actually moved in with someone!”

Mallory laughed a bit. “She’s worth it and I know she’s not going to burn me. And, for the record, I’ve only been burned twice.”

“What’s that saying about being burned and shy?”

“Shut up.”

“So, how’s it working out?”

Mallory let out a long breath. “She hasn’t kicked me out yet, so I guess that’s a good thing. I think she’s starting to see her apartment more as her home, which is huge. Best yet, I think she’s starting to see me as home.” She smiled at the thought and actually giggled.

“That’s great. Does she trust you again?” Meghan asked.

“She hasn’t said so. I think I need to do more. I’ve only been here for a week and a half. I’m sure Poe will need much more time, but I’m willing to give her all the time she needs as long as I can stay here like this. I’m so content, Meghan.”

“Content? Not happy?”

“No, it’s different from happiness. Happiness happens in a moment. I know when I’m a happy and it’s never this long. This has persisted since I came here last week. It’s a quiet feeling that makes me think that everything is all right. I really like it,” Mallory said.

“That’s good. I hope she treats you right.”

Mallory smiled a bit. “I’m not sure if it would seem right to most people, but it’s right for me. I don’t know why, but she does it for me.”

“You’re the only one she needs to do it for. You sound totally smitten, which is so cute for you. So, when do we get to meet her?” Meghan laughed.

Mallory scoffed. “She’d probably faint meeting so many people at once.”

“Wouldn’t it help prove you’re serious about her, though? I mean, you want her to meet your family. Taking her home to meet the folks has to scream commitment, right?” 

Mallory thought on that. Meeting her family would certainly show that she was serious about Poe, to both Poe and her family. Her family would make a big deal about it, though. It would annoy her and possibly overwhelm Poe.

“It might scare her,” Mallory told her sister.

“You should try it, anyway, because it might _not_ scare her. Bring her by for Sunday dinner. That way you can show Mom you haven’t been murdered and left in a ditch somewhere,” Meghan pointed out.

“I’ll run the idea by Poe and see how she reacts to it,” Mallory sighed, shaking her head. “But, if she agrees, you guys – you especially – can’t act like the crazy people you are. Poe’s not open or friendly really with people she’s just met. She’s very introverted and somewhat bashful.”

“Oh, we’ll be on our best behavior. She’ll love us and we’ll love her!” Meghan proclaimed as if that was a solid fact.

“She might tolerate you guys, but love I think is a strong word. I barely love you guys,” Mallory joked.

Meghan loudly scoffed. “Oh, please! I had your precious niece and I’m your twin. You’re required by law to love me.”

“I’m pretty sure that isn’t in the Constitution. Let me go run this idea by Poe. I’ll call you back when I’m done. Call Mom and let her know I’m okay. Warn me if she comes up with some crazy code word or question that she’ll want me to answer when I call her. I’ll call her later tonight,” the younger sister promised.

“Sounds good. Good luck to you, not just in getting her to come to dinner, but getting her in general.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

“Keep fighting.”

“I will.” They disconnected the call and Mallory smiled as she looked at her phone. She then took a deep breath before returning to the living room.

Poe was still on her computer, working away on her book. She sat down next to the artist and draped herself on Poe, who did not complain. She glanced at the page to see that Poe definitely had a rhythm going.

“I just spoke with my sister. My family’s freaking out because I haven’t returned a call to them in almost a week,” Mallory explained.

“That is a long time,” Poe agreed.

“Yeah, I suppose. My mother probably just wanted to talk about something silly, too. It was my bad luck that she happened to call when I had my cell turned off.” _Sometimes, we can go a month without calling each other and the one week I decide to turn the phone off is the time Mom decides we need to talk? What kind of luck is that?_

“So, what are you going to do?” Poe asked curiously, looking up from her laptop for a moment.

Mallory shrugged. “I’m not really going to do anything. My sister will tell them that I’m okay and my Mom’ll call back, acting like I’ve just come back from the dead.”

The younger woman laughed. “She’s a good mother.”

Mallory smiled thoughtfully. “She is. Would you like to meet her?”

Brown eyes blinked several times and Poe actually swayed, as if she might faint. “You want me … you want me … you want me to meet your mom?” she asked as if that was the craziest thing that she had ever heard in her life.

“Well, my family really. We do Sunday night dinners. We could go, together,” Mallory explained, trying her best to sound normal. It would have been easier if her heart would stop beating a mile a minute. _Oh, god, I actually want her to meet my family!_

“Family?” All of that beautiful tan coloring drained from Poe’s face. Mallory rushed to her side, hoping to make her feel better about the idea.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t look like that.” Mallory cupped Poe’s face and kissed both cheeks. “My family has already heard about you. My sister pushed me into chasing you when I was too busy having my head up my ass.”

Deep brown eyes blinked before focusing on the redhead. “Your sister pushed you to me?” The fact that she sounded so incredulous broke Mallory’s heart.

“Yes, she did, sweetheart. I basically cried on her shoulder when I thought I lost you. She told me not to give up so easily. She really would like to meet the person that could get close enough to me to make me fall head over heels in love.” A big smile took up her whole face.

Poe smiled. “Head over heels, huh?”

Mallory chuckled and tapped her lover’s nose. “Don’t be smug. You don’t look adorable when you’re smug. Back to the business at hand, would you like to meet my family? We could go to Sunday dinner. They’ll love you,” she promised with another smile. _They will, too. They’ll love you just as much as I do_.

The artist scratched the top of her head. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course. You’ve got until Sunday afternoon to make a decision. Two more at my mom’s table won’t matter on short notice because she cooks enough to feed an army anyway.”

Poe smiled a bit and Mallory kissed her before letting her get back to work. A few minutes later Mallory’s phone went off, pulling her away from the couch. She spent the next hour on the phone with her mother. Her motherspent the time yelling at her and crying about how worried she had been. Mallory did not even really get a chance to explain what happened and her mother hung up after ordering her home for Sunday dinner.

“Well, I’m going home whether I like or not,” she muttered while putting her phone away.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe sat in the dark, on the bed with her legs folded underneath her. She was considering Mallory’s proposal. While she was not the most social person on Earth and had done very little dating in her life, she knew that meeting a girl’s family was huge. Meeting Mallory’s family seemed monumental and the thought made her dizzy. She could not sleep, knots kept tying themselves in her guts, and she feared that she might throw up at any moment.

“I should feel good about this. She wants me to meet her family. She’s serious about this, about me. She wants us to work. I want that, too … right? Well, yeah, that’s why I let her stay, why I wanted her to stay. She wants this to be real. It will be real if I meet her family. Am I ready for this?” Poe wondered aloud. The butterflies in her stomach made her unsure.

She thought about what might happen if she declined. She knew that Mallory would assure her that it was no big deal, but she knew the message it would send. Mallory would start to doubt herself and doubt her effort in getting them back together. A decline would be a step backward for them. Their bond was too tenuous right now and any doubt could wound them beyond repair.

“But, if I do this and I’m not ready, I could make a huge ass out of myself and mess things up even more. I mean, if her family hates me that definitely would affect us,” Poe muttered, twisting her mouth up in thought. “Maybe it’s better to get it out of the way before we totally set ourselves right.”

She did not want Mallory’s family to hate her after she and Mallory became a true couple because it would probably drive them apart. The very thought pained her. She imagined how deep her emotions for Mallory would be by then and she lose Mallory, lose herself possibly. The thought made her weak.

“But, she said her family would love me. Why should they? No one else does,” Poe muttered with a frown.

“I do,” Mallory said, stepping in from beyond the curtain.

“Mallory!” Poe squeaked and jumped.

Mallory moved quietly and slowly sat down next to Poe. The artist was certain the reason that the redhead went so slowly was to give her a chance to tell Mallory to stop. That did not happen and Poe edged closer to Mallory once she was down.

“I’m sorry if I woke you,” Poe apologized. The older woman had been sleeping on the sofa last she checked.

“You didn’t mean to and I’m glad you did. I need you to know you’re loveable. You are worth loving and can be loved. My family would definitely love you. You’re bright and talented. You can be polite and civil. You can carry a conversation if someone gets you going and you try hard enough. You’re not an asshole. You’re actually pretty normal,” Mallory assured her. 

“I’m normal?” _I can’t be normal because if I was, I wouldn’t be such a mess over this, and Nadi wouldn’t have to yell at me all the time, and I’d have been able to hold onto Mallory in the first place. People would like me if I was normal_.

Mallory chuckled. “Yeah, pretty normal. There’s nothing wrong with you and you don’t really have any vices. You’re insecure not unlike a lot of girls your age. You’re sensitive, again not unlike a lot of girls your age. Making matters more extreme, you’re an artist and you have an artist’s temperament. You want to protect yourself from pain, like most people. You’ve built up walls, but lots of people do. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Poe looked down at the bedspread. “I feel like there is.”

“There isn’t. People are just jerks and you ran into more than your fair share because you were in a system that let’s a lot of jerks through. You’re fine and my family will love you.”

Poe’s eyes remained on the bedspread. She nodded for lack of a better thing to do. In the dark silence, she heard Mallory sigh.

“If you really don’t want to meet them, you don’t have to,” the redhead said, just as Poe feared. 

The writer’s head snapped up. “No! Don’t say that, especially not like that! I want to meet them!” Her words surprised the older woman. Because her eyes had adjusted to the dark, she could see Mallory blink in shock.

“You do?” the redhead inquired.

Poe took a deep breath and nodded. “I do.” _She’s taken so many steps toward me. I need to take one toward her. I care about her, after all_.

“So, we’re going to Sunday dinner?”

Now, Poe swallowed a lump in her throat and it felt like a stone landed in her stomach. “Yes, we’ll go. I just want to apologize in advance if I mess up.”

“You’ll be fine,” Mallory promised, grabbing her around the shoulders and pulling her close.

The younger woman felt the warmth from Mallory’s body and it filled her with all sorts of good, warm feelings. She wrapped her arms around Mallory’s waist and pulled their bodies even closer. Mallory kissed the top of her head and if felt like everything was right in the world. A smile settled onto Poe’s face before she realized it.

“Get some sleep,” Mallory whispered as she disentangled their limbs. She gently forced Poe to lie down. “It’s not going to be bad. I promise. I’d never take you somewhere I knew you’d get hurt, not even to dinner with my family.”

Poe nodded and moved up to the pillows as Mallory pulled the covers over her. Mallory kissed her forehead, much like a mother would do to a child, which bothered Poe. A frown took up residency on her face.

“You don’t have to kiss my forehead. You’re not my mother,” Poe said and if came out with more snap than she intended.

Mallory pulled back. “I don’t want to be!” she declared in near horror.

Poe reached out and took her hand. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean, my mom kisses my forehead and you’re not my mom. You should kiss other places.”

Mallory smirked. “Oh? Do you have any suggestions?”

“Anywhere but my forehead.”

“Anywhere?”

The author nodded and ignored how naughty Mallory made one innocent word sound. The redhead had mercy on her and leaned down, giving her a tender kiss on the mouth. Thankfully, Mallory kept it simple and pulled away after a few seconds.

“Thank you,” Poe whispered.

“No, thank you. You settle something within me, Poe. I need you and I need you to know that,” Mallory said.

“I need you, too,” Poe admitted before she could stop herself. _Shit! I have no filter tonight!_  

Mallory only smiled and returned to the sofa. Poe was tempted to call her back, but decided against it. Instead, she tried to get some sleep now that the sense of fear and dread had passed. _I’m going to meet her family_. For some reason, it was not as frightening. _Is it because Mallory promised?_ Her heart told her “yes.”

-8-8-8-8-

Poe had to shove her hands in her pockets to keep from fidgeting as she got out of a taxi with Mallory. She stared at the house that they were standing in front of and noted how normal it looked. It actually reminded her of her parents’ house, which helped settle her.

“Ready to go?” Mallory asked, holding her hand out for Poe. 

Poe took a deep breath and nodded. “I can do this,” she proclaimed with confidence as she took the redhead’s hand.

“It’ll be fine,” the older woman vowed.

“You sure?”

Mallory smiled. “Positive. It’ll be fine.”

They walked into the yard and Mallory opened the front door, which was not locked. The sweet smell of food hit Poe the second she was inside the warm house. She could hear childish giggles and mumbled conversation. Mallory led her to the source; the family was gathered in the dining room.

“Hello, everybody,” Mallory greeted them with a smile.

Suddenly, all eyes were on them. Poe fought back the urge to squirm as she took in the number of people. It was only six of them, but it felt like hundreds. Mallory squeezed her hand, which helped settle Poe. She did not feel like a specimen under a microscope and reminded herself to just be herself. _I’m fine, I’m normal, Mallory said so_.

“Auntie!” a little blond girl cheered. She was in the arms of a man that looked like he was probably Mallory’s age or maybe a bit younger. He looked a lot like Mallory, Poe noted.

“Hey, goober,” Mallory smiled as she reached out to ruffle the child’s blond locks. “Everybody, this is Poe.” She held up their hands, silently announcing that they were together, but it seemed unnecessary to do.

Poe felt an odd grumble in her stomach and figured it was from the lack of position attached to her name. She was just Poe, not “my friend” and certainly not “my girlfriend.” It made sense and it was her fault. She was the one stuck in limbo about their relationship despite Mallory devoting two weeks of nonstop attention to her.

“Poe, that’s my dad, Marcus,” Mallory began introductions, pointing to a bulky middle-aged redheaded man. “My goober, Kelly.” She ruffled the little blond’s hair again. “My brother Shaun.” The man holding Kelly offered Poe a friendly smile. Mallory then turned to a woman with a baby. “My sister and Kelly’s mom, Meghan.”

“I’m the good looking twin,” Meghan remarked, reaching out to shake Poe’s hand.

“Twin?” Poe echoed, scrunching up her face. Mallory never said anything about having a twin. She and Meghan did look alike, but they could not be identical in her opinion. She did not even notice the friendly, extended hand because she was too busy trying to figure out how the sisters were twins.

“They’re Irish twins,” Shaun explained with a snicker. Clearly this was some family inside joke that Poe was not meant to get and her face only showed that.

“We were born less than a year apart,” Meghan added, which did not help clear up Poe’s confused expression.

“Poe, you have never heard that expression before, have you?” Mallory asked and Poe shook her head. “Good, because it’s not important and it’s not really a nice thing to say anyway. Back to intros, the baby is Ricky and his father, also Kelly’s father and Meghan’s husband, Patrick.” Mallory motioned to the last man.

“Nice to meet you all,” Poe managed to say. They all replied in kind and moved to shake her hand. She managed to make it through that without fainting, which she felt was an accomplishment. Mallory did not move from her side, which helped keep her calm.

“Come on. One more person to meet,” Mallory whispered to her, gently guiding Poe to the kitchen where a middle-aged woman was slaving over the stove. “Mom, stop for a second,” Mallory huffed.

“I’m trying to get everything ready,” the woman replied without bothering to look up from her task. Poe was actually thank for that as it gave her extra time to take a few deep breaths.

“Mom, unless you can make the food cook faster, stop for a second and say hello to Poe,” Mallory requested.

“Poe?” Mallory’s mother popped up and quickly spun around. “Oh, my goodness, forgive me. I was hoping Mallory would have you with everyone else to entertain you until I was finished in here,” she explained with a smile that made her eyes shine as she extended her hand. “It’s a huge pleasure to meet you. I’m Shani.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Poe replied, shaking the offered hand. The warm shine in Shani’s eyes set her at ease. _Maybe everything will work out_.

“I hope my mixed up middle child is treating you well,” Shani remarked.

“Mom!” Mallory barked.

Shani laughed. “What? At least you’re not the wild one or the sullen one.”

“I am not sullen!” Shaun called from the adjacent room.

“I meant Patrick,” Shani continued.

“I think you’re confusing sullen for serious,” Patrick replied.

“I think you’re taking the bait like she wants you to,” Marcus remarked.

Mallory chuckled. “Come on, Poe. We’ll leave Mom to finish up in here.”

Shani waved them out and Mallory walked Poe back into the dining room, leaving her arm around Poe’s waist. They sat down with the rest of the family. Mallory had to release her waist, but took hold of her hand. Before Poe realized it, all eyes were on her again.

“So, Poe, how’d you meet the boring one?” Meghan inquired with a light laugh.

“Boring?” Poe echoed and she looked to Mallory for clarification. _Surely, she doesn’t mean Mallory!_

“She means me. Meghan considers me the boring twin,” Mallory commented with a glint in her eyes that clearly scoffed at the idea.

Poe guessed that Mallory’s family had no idea what she did for a living. She did not see why they would now that she thought about it. She doubted that Mallory boasted about her line of work. But, it was funny that they thought Mallory was boring.

“I was in a bar and she tried to buy me a drink,” Poe replied as to how she met Mallory.

“Tried?” Shaun echoed with an arched eyebrow.

“Poe shot me down pretty good, letting me know she wasn’t old enough to drink,” Mallory reported with an amused smirk.

“What the hell were you doing in a bar then?” Shaun blurted out.

“Thank you! I said the same thing! Makes no damn sense, right?” Mallory said.

“How do you drink a bar?” Kelly asked curiously.

“You don’t worry about it, goober,” Mallory told her niece.

“So, Poe, what do you do for a living?” Meghan asked, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

“I write and I paint,” Poe answered modestly.

Mallory chuckled. “She’s damn good at both.” No one pressed for more than that, just moving onto the next thing.

The family asked Poe questions and she answered as best she could. Sometimes, it got a little overwhelming when more than one of them would ask, but she maintained her composure. It helped that Mallory squeezed her hand every now and then, reminding Poe of why she was doing this, why she needed to come out of this liked. Thankfully, the family did not ask anything too deep, leaving Poe to suspect that Mallory prepared them by requesting they keep their questions light.

“Hey, Poe, can I talk to you for a minute?” Meghan requested during a rare moment that she was separated from Mallory. Meghan had waited for her little sister to go to the bathroom. 

“Uh … okay,” Poe agreed. There was nothing about the oldest sibling that really bothered her, so she figured that she should be able to last through a conversation with Meghan.

Meghan motioned for Poe to follow her. Poe nodded and they stepped out onto the porch. It was a quiet night and again reminded Poe of her parents’ neighborhood. This helped keep her calm. _These are normal people, normal people that seem to like me_.

“Poe, first, I want to thank you for giving my sister a second chance,” Meghan began.

Poe blinked, not expecting that. “It wasn’t really a big deal.” 

“Yes, it was, for both of you. She had to humble herself, which isn’t easy for anyone in our family. She had to admit she made a mistake and try to win you back, but you also had to humble yourself to give her another chance. She told me how hard it is for you to let people in. It’s hard for her, too.”

Poe nodded. “It is?” Mallory seemed so outgoing.

“Yeah, Mallory’s closed off, but we all are. We can be because we’re all best friends, me, Mallory, and our brother. Shaun’s barely two years younger than Mallory, so we’re all close because we’re all almost the same age. It’s always been that. We tend to be wary if someone’s trying to get into our little circle. Now, we’re all friendly and social, but that doesn’t mean we let people in. Making it worse with Mallory is that her first two serious relationships, both when she was just a teenager, ended badly, so she’s more closed off than any of us. You, you’re in deep with her. Treat her right. She’ll be good to you.”

Poe nodded again. She had not really thought about things from Mallory’s point of view. But now that it was on her mind, she realized that Mallory did not seem to have any close friends. She had never called Mallory and found the redhead with plans, except for work. Sure, Mallory talked to friends or went out with them every now and then, but she did not seem to have people over her place all of the time or anything like that.

Mallory never talked about past relationships either. It was not something that Poe liked to think about because she knew that if she did, she would then compare herself to other people that Mallory might have been with. She knew in her mind she would never measure up and it would only make her anxious when she was around Mallory. Now, she found herself curious. She wanted to know more and she wanted to help heal Mallory in any way that the redhead might need. _We need to talk more. I need to talk to her more_.

“I never really realized that,” Poe admitted.

“It’s hard to tell. Mallory’s always been popular and she likes partying sometimes, but none of those people mean what you mean. If they never called her again, she wouldn’t care. If you never called, she’d have a nervous breakdown,” Meghan chuckled, shaking her head.

“I don’t want to be the only one calling.”

“Just let her know that. She’s very open to the idea of being in a relationship with you and she wants things to go right.”

“I want things to go right, too.”

“Well, you have to show her that. Be good to her and she’ll be very good to you.”

Poe could only nod. Meghan smiled and patted Poe on the shoulder before disappearing back into the house. Brown eyes stared into the night and a smile settled on her face. She felt good, she realized. Meghan had left her feeling good. _I think I like Mallory’s family_.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Mallory inquired as she stood next to Poe. “My family bugging you?”

The artist shook her head. “They’re actually really nice. You were right. I’m glad I came and met everybody.” 

Mallory grinned. “That’s good.”

“Um … maybe you could meet my family, too.”

The grin turned into a wince. “That might be a little tricky. I wasn’t very nice when they saw me at the art expo.”

“No, but if we’re going to be together, you’ll have to meet them eventually. I’d like it to be soon, so they can stop worrying about me and stuff,” Poe explained.

“Wait, are we together?”

Poe grabbed Mallory by the hand and stepped into her personal space. “I certainly hope so.” The response caused Mallory to smile, which warmed Poe. “Can you cook for them? It should help.”

“Hell, I’ll cook for an army if it’ll help! I’ll do my best,” Mallory proclaimed with confidence. Poe smiled, too.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory took a deep breath as Poe went to get the door. She was not sure how she managed to together a meal for seven people – Poe had invited her best friends along with her family – but, she was pleased with herself that she had. Now, she just had to let the family know that she was not the cold bitch from the art show or the heartless douchebag that hurt Poe _. Easier said than done_.

“Poe!” Mallory watched as a little boy fling himself at the artist. Poe hugged him and laughed. Everyone else came in after him. Mallory released her deep breath as she stepped to Poe’s side.

“Come in, everybody. Please meet Mallory,” Poe said, motioning to the redhead. “Mallory, these are my parents, Nolan and Rayne Bryant.” She pointed to the older couple.

“Me, Poe! Me!” the little boy shouted, calling attention to himself before anyone could move.

“And this is my little brother, Calvin,” Poe said, rubbing his back.

“Nice to meet you,” Calvin declared, sticking his hand out to her to shake.

Mallory laughed and shook his hand. In that time, the parents pushed by her. Nadi and Justin were behind them and they both glared at Mallory. The redhead sighed, but silently promised herself that she would get through the night. _I have to do this for Poe. Hell, for me, too. I can’t have her whole universe hate me_.

“So, Mallory cooked, but I still don’t have a table or extra chairs,” Poe announced with a sheepish laugh.

“No, but you have a lot of new stuff,” Nolan commented, looking around the place.

“Yeah, it actually looks like someone live here now,” Justin noted, sounding rather incredulous about it all.

“Oh, yeah. Mallory bought all of it and she set it up,” Poe replied with a smile. That news earned Mallory some surprised looks from everyone, except Calvin. She hoped those were good looks.

“I wanted the place to look a little more like someone lived here, like it was someone’s home,” Mallory explained with a shrug.

There were nods, but no one said anything. Mallory retreated to the kitchen to escape the thick tension and finish fixing dinner plates while Poe tried to figure out the seating. Nolan, Rayne, and Nadi ended up on the small sofa. Justin and Calvin held down the floor, which was where Mallory and Poe would have to sit, too. Mallory served the parents first, then the young couple, and then the siblings. Mallory sat down only after everyone had food and drink. Poe cuddled close to her.

“This is good. I like the little potatoes,” Calvin said, probably because everyone else was being quiet.

“Mallory’s a great cook. She makes sure I eat properly and she cooks almost everyday,” Poe chimed.

Mallory smiled, happy that Poe was trying to sell her, but it was clearly not working. The only visitor willing to talk while Mallory was around was Calvin. He talked about school, but no one else said a word. They mostly just glared at the redhead as if trying to force her to melt. Mallory sighed as she went to do the dishes. She was not sure how to fix this mess. _I just had to go to that fucking art show with that pompous ass and then act like a fucking bitch!_

“Mallory,” Rayne said as she stepped into the kitchen.

“Mrs. Bryant, can I get you something?” Mallory inquired in her softest and most polite tone while turning to face the older woman.

“No, I know my way around pretty well.” She looked around. “Well, I used to know my way around. I’m sure you changed some things around.”

Mallory was not sure if that was an insult or not. She doubted that things would get better. She hoped that she made it out of the kitchen alive, though. She was about to say something, just something that showed she was there for Poe, but she did not get the chance.

Rayne glared at her. “What are your intentions towards Poe? You tore her heart out once before. How do we know that you’re not going to do it again?”

“Well, Poe trusts me enough to give me a second chance. I mean, that has to say a lot in and of itself,” Mallory pointed out.

Rayne was quiet for a few moments. “It does. She trusts you, but she’s also rather naïve when it comes to relationships. She doesn’t really know how they work.”

“I know. Believe me, I know. But, she’s sought advice about me. I know I’ve left a bad taste in your mouth, but I’d like a chance to change that. I’m so sorry for what I did and I try to spend every day making it up to Poe. I do love your daughter and I’m going to do everything in my power to show her I do, to show you and the rest of your family. I’m doing my best and I’ll continue doing my best to hold onto Poe. She’s the best thing in my life outside of my family,” Mallory said, wondering if she sounded as pleading to Rayne’s ears as she did her own.

 _Hell, if it would get this woman to like me, I’d probably get on my knees and beg with her_. Mallory knew that she and Poe would never be able to have a relationship if Rayne did not like her. After all, Poe thought the world of Rayne and if Rayne badmouthed her to Poe then it would always be a scar on whatever they tried to build.

“She cried over you so much. I can’t watch her go through that again,” Rayne said. “I hate seeing her in pain. She’s already been through so much.”

“I know. I don’t like it either. It took me doing something stupid to realize how much she means to me. I can’t go through it again. I won’t go through it again,” Mallory vowed, making a fist.

Rayne studied the redhead briefly and then nodded. “I’ll give you a chance because as you said, Poe is willing to let you have another chance. I can see you care for her. But, if you hurt her again …” She could only growl.

Mallory nodded to show that she understood and accepted the threat. Rayne accepted that and returned to the living room. Mallory released a breath that she did not know she was holding, only to find out that she let it go too soon. Nolan was in the kitchen moments later and began grilling her about her intentions toward his daughter.

She handled him just as well as she had his wife. He was just as tough as Rayne and she suspected that both parents would do their best to make her life Hell if she hurt their daughter again. She was actually glad for that because Poe needed that support in her life and it would help keep her honest.

“I just have to show them I mean business and everything should be fine. I do mean business, after all,” she told herself.

She knew the toughest nut to crack would be Nadi. The dancer stared at her with intense dislike that was bordering on hatred. Nadi did not even have words for her. She guessed that her actions would have to prove her intent with Nadi.

The night remained tense and Mallory was happy it was a school night so the Bryants had to leave early. Nadi and Justin seemed to hang around only to make Mallory uncomfortable, which worked very well as they glowered at her the whole night. The redhead had to take a long shower once they were gone, hoping to wash away the tension.

“You okay?” Poe asked as Mallory, fresh from the shower, settled on the sofa.

Mallory pulled Poe to her. “I’m better now.” 

The artist snuggled into the older woman. “I’m sorry they weren’t nicer, but I’m sure things will get better when they see you’re here to stay.”

“I am,” Mallory declared.

Poe smiled. “I know. I do trust you, you know?”

“It’s good to hear.”

“You put your whole life on hold for me and you’re trying so hard for me in all directions. The least I can do is trust you.”

Mallory shook her head. “No, that’s the most you can do.”

Poe smiled and pushed herself up to plant a surprising kiss to Mallory’s lips. The redhead yelped in shock, but surrendered to the pleasing touch. It felt like it had been an eternity since she experienced Poe’s sweet mouth. She sighed as Poe slowly pulled away. 

“So, Poe, will you be my girlfriend?” Mallory asked. She wanted things to be clear between them.

Poe grinned. “I’d love to.”

Later, when they both decided it was time for bed, Poe invited Mallory into the bed. They only cuddled, but it was all Mallory needed. She was certain that it was the best sleep she ever had.

-8-8-8-8- 

Next time: the end.


	14. Ever after

14: Ever after

Mallory frowned as she heard her phone going off. It was not her personal phone, which was resting a few feet away from her by the television. She ignored it as she had taken to doing since unofficially moving in with Poe almost three weeks ago. She had turned it on in a moment of curiosity to see what she was missing, but found herself uninterested in her messages one text in and had disregarded it again, forgetting to turn it back off.

“Is that your phone?” Poe asked as she flopped down on the couch next to Mallory.

As soon as the smaller woman was down, Mallory gathered her up in her arms and pressed Poe to her. “Yeah, but I’m letting it go,” she replied before kissing behind Poe’s ear. _Holding her has to be what heaven feels like_.

Poe giggled and then her brow furrowed, as if something troubling just entered her mind. Her eyes drifted to the phone by the television. “It’s your work phone, isn’t it?”

Mallory sighed, wishing the artist had not realized that. She held Poe closer to her. Poe returned the embrace and turned to face the redhead. Brown eyes locked onto hers.

“You haven’t gone to work since you got here,” Poe noted.

“No, I haven’t,” Mallory replied, not really wanting to talk about it. She was certain that any reminder of her job would ruin the little bubble that they had created around themselves and might even cost her everything that she managed to build with Poe.

“Did you quit?”

“I haven’t. You’re just my top priority right now,” Mallory easily admitted. She wanted Poe to know just how much she meant to the redhead, but she could not quit her job. She did need a means to support herself, after all.

“Are you going to go back?” Brown eyes glistened, letting Mallory know there was a wrong answer here and she was probably going to give it.

“I’d like to. I like my job, it’s good money, and I’m good at it,” Mallory answered. _“I’m good at it?” Why the hell would I tell my girlfriend I’m good at being a hooker? Fuck!_ “You don’t want me to?” she asked, even though she could guess the answer.

Poe pouted. “I don’t wanna share you.”

Mallory leaned down to kiss away the moue, which did not work. “You wouldn’t be sharing me. My dates don’t mean anything to me. You mean everything to me.”

The painter sighed and shook her head. “You’d still be sleeping with other people.”

“But, it wouldn’t mean anything beyond making money. It’s just a job to me, Poe. A service job, like waiting tables or masseuse. I don’t feel anything for my dates.”

The pout was full on now. “I was your date once.”

“Aw, babe, you’re special. Do you think I invite all of my dates back to my place for soccer?” Mallory teased, nibbling on the tip of Poe’s ear.

“You better not,” Poe grumbled, squirming slightly against the older woman.

“Poe, you are the only one for me. You got me to stop drinking my loneliness away. No one has been able to do that. You reach inside of me and touch my heart and soul.” The redhead caressed the small of Poe’s back, hoping it would calm her lover down.

The artist glanced down in thought. “I don’t want other people reaching inside you.”

“I guess that was a poor choice of words,” Mallory said, sighing a bit herself. “Poe, I’ve been doing this for years. I know how to separate my work and my personal life. It doesn’t mean anything to me, except money to go toward my dream.”

Poe made a noise in the back of her throat and her eyes searched the floor. “You know, Nadi told me to be ready for this conversation when we had everyone over for dinner. She wanted me to think about what it meant to have a call girl for a partner.”

Mallory frowned a bit, but she could not be mad at Nadi for trying to look out for Poe. Besides, she was the stupid one for practically bragging to Nadi about what she did for a living. She ran her hand through Poe’s hair, causing brown eyes to flutter shut briefly.

“Poe, you know I don’t want to hurt you in any way. My job is just that to me – a job. I know it’s hard for you to wrap your head around. Honestly, I never planned for any of this, to fall in love, to need to make a decision. I’ve lived my life in a fugue state almost, floundering around, never really figuring out what to do with my life. I always told myself I’d figure it out eventually and there was no rush. There’s a rush now,” Mallory stated.

“I don’t want to put any stress on you,” Poe admitted in a low, almost ashamed voice. The way that she sounded made the redhead scowl because it seemed like Poe was ready to settle and she knew that came from Poe’s unhappy childhood.

Mallory shook her head. “I need the stress. Poe, don’t you get it? If not for you, I’d be a call girl until my tits fell off,” she remarked with a chuckle. “It’s not my ideal job. I’m just settled and it makes me so much money and I get so many gifts. I’d never figure out what I want to do with myself, but I do know I want to do right by you. You deserve the best and I have to be able to deliver as close to that as I can.”

Poe squinted and looked so adorably perplexed. “So, you will quit?” 

Mallory chuckled. “Will you give me some time? I just need to figure out what I want to do with myself.”

“What do you mean? How much time?”

The older woman scratched her head, thinking about it for a second. “I won’t take forever. But, I just need to figure out what to do with myself. Like you, you know you’re an artist. You get paid to paint and write. You’re good at those things and they make you happy. I have to figure out what job would make me happy.”

Poe nodded, but her eyes still appeared skeptical. Her brow furrowed as she thought on things. Mallory ran her fingers through Poe’s hair again. She hoped that Poe accepted that, but she was certain that she would bend if Poe demanded that she quit. She just was not sure what she would do about remaining in the lifestyle that she was accustomed to, but Poe came before that. Poe came before everything.

“You were a call girl before we made things official and I didn’t really mind. I never really thought about it,” Poe commented in a low tone, as if she were speaking more to herself.

“But, we weren’t official then,” the redhead pointed out. While she was making things harder for herself, she wanted Poe to consider everything before giving in to make sure the artist did not end up resentful.

“No, we weren’t, but I never would’ve thought to tell you what to do with your life and I still won’t. I want you to be happy, just like you want me to be happy. I know better than most how hard things can be when people start to try to control you. I don’t want to control you.”

“And I don’t want you to be bothered by my job,” Mallory insisted.

Poe nodded. “I might be able to live with it. I’ve seen a lot of things in my twenty short years and interacted with a lot of different people. I’m not going to judge you about your job or be upset when you have to leave. I think I can separate our private lives and your job.”

“Are you sure?”

Poe smiled “I’m willing to try, just like you’re always willing to try stuff for me. I should be able to handle it. Plus, it’s not forever, right?”

“Definitely not,” Mallory insisted. _I have to figure out what the hell to do with myself because I’m not going to let this damned job cost me Poe_.

“I’ll tell you if I feel uncomfortable.”

“Please do.” Poe nodded and Mallory hugged her tightly. “How did I get so lucky to find you?”

“I think we were lucky to find each other.”

Mallory smiled and leaned down to kiss Poe. The author eagerly returned the show of affection, kissing her until they were both out of breath. Mallory caressed Poe’s cheek as they pulled away from each other. 

“You have exclusive rights to my kisses, though,” Mallory stated and Poe laughed.

-8-8-8-8-

The next time that Mallory’s work phone rang, she decided to answer it. She was not surprised by her boss’ thundering yell almost blowing out her eardrum. The crazy Russian was screaming so loudly that Poe was looking at Mallory with a puzzled look. Mallory waved Poe back to her painting.

“Tatijana, we both know I have no fucking clue what you’re saying unless you speak English!” Mallory hollered back at the woman she imagined was red in the face from her boisterous rant.

“Don’t tell me what language to speak, you traitorous son of a mule!” Tatijana roared.

Mallory rolled her eyes. “I’m sure that sounds worse in Russian. How am I a traitor?”

“I know you’ve moved onto another agency! That can be the only reason you’ve missed so many dates and haven’t returned any of my calls! I had hoped you were dead, so I wouldn’t have to kill you with my own bare hands!” She then went off in Russian, swearing and cursing Mallory more than likely.

“Calm the fuck down. I can’t understand shit you’re saying,” Mallory pointed out. She hoped that Tatijana could be reasoned with or she was sure that the livid Russian woman would try to murder her with her bare hands.

“Don’t fucking tell me to calm the fuck down!” More loud Russian followed.

Mallory was not in the mood for a headache, so she hung up. “Let her think about it for minute.”

“Is everything okay?” Poe asked with concern lacing her big, brown eyes.

“Yeah, crazy boss just being crazy is all,” Mallory replied. As her phone began buzzing again, she turned her attention back to it. “Hello,” she answered in a pleasant voice to mock Tatijana’s anger.

“How dare you hang up on me?” Tatijana bellowed.

“It’s pretty easy. I’m about to do it again if you don’t calm the fuck the down,” Mallory said.

“You don’t tell me what the fuck to do!”

Mallory rolled her eyes and hung up again, secretly hoping she was not signing her own death warrant. Poe glanced at her, but she waved her lover off. Poe shrugged and turned back to her painting. Mallory’s phone began ringing again and she just let. She decided to check her messages, only to find more of Tatijana’s screaming. Blue eyes rolled again and she deleted all of the messages. Once she was done, she saw that her boss was trying to call her again.

“Do you have to go to back to work?” Poe asked.

“Not yet. I do have to watch a movie with you, though,” Mallory remarked.

Poe chuckled. “Let me wash my hands.”

“I’ll get as some snacks.”

They both moved to get things in order before meeting back out the couch. Mallory threw her arms around Poe as soon as she could. That put the snack bowl in Poe’s lap, which was fine since she was going to do most of the eating. Mallory nuzzled her neck just for the hell of it.

“Before we start, you should know we have to do some shopping. That’s the last salty treat in the place,” Mallory informed the younger woman.

“What? But, I need salt!” Poe joked.

Mallory laughed and ran her hand through Poe’s hair. “You need food that goes together, though. I refuse to let you eat pickles and jelly again.”

Poe frowned. “It tastes good!”

“To you. I’ll never eat that, so I refuse to eat it.”

The artist chuckled. “I’ll eat anything, but you know that.”

“Clever,” Mallory deadpanned.

“Hey, can I go with you shopping? I shouldn’t just leave it to you,” Poe said.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I can handle the shopping.”

“You don’t have to do everything. We can be partners in this. I want to be there with you doing stuff,” Poe said, patting Mallory’s hand.

The redhead smiled. “You’re right. I’d like to do regular stuff with you.”

“Me, too. I like having you around, so I want to do things with you to help keep you around. We should do little things together since we’re official.”

“You got it.” Mallory kissed Poe’s head. They focused on the movie after that, ignoring the buzz from Mallory’s phone.

-8-8-8-8-

Poe watched Mallory looking through the kitchen, taking stock of what they needed. She had seen her mother do something similar before going on a “shopping expedition,” as her mother used to call them. She never bothered with that when she went shopping.

“Can we go yet?” Poe groaned. She wanted to go and come back as soon as possible, as she always did when she had to go shopping. 

“No, I need to make sure I know what we need. I don’t want to make a trip to the supermarket and take a cab back only to find out we need to go back to the market for things,” Mallory explained.

Poe sighed impatiently. “How long is this gonna take?”

“Poe, if it’s such a bother why don’t you just leave it to me? I’ve got this.”

The younger woman puffed out her cheeks and pouted. “Sorry for being such a pill. I just never do it like this. I just go out and buy stuff.”

Blue eyes rolled as Mallory moved to see what was in the cupboards. “Why am I not surprised?”

Poe did not respond. She did her best not to fidget while Mallory worked. She wanted to do this to get closer to her lover because she really did like being around Mallory and liked having her around. She wanted to be able to take care of the redhead just as the older woman did her. So, she needed to learn to do normal things the right way.

“All right, I’m ready to go,” Mallory announced.

Poe grinned. “Hey, before we do the shopping, let’s get lunch at the diner two blocks away.”

“Sounds good. Oh, I want to go to that bath and beauty store, too.”

Brown eyes blinked twice. “Why?”

Mallory smirked. “You’ll see.”

A shiver ran through Poe. She wondered what Mallory had up her sleeve. She looked forward to it.

The pair left the loft and started off for the diner. Poe lived in a very good section of the city where there were tons of things within walking distance, including everywhere they had to go. They sat down in the diner and Poe ordered breakfast just because it was still being served.

“It’s never too late for pancakes,” Poe chuckled. 

Mallory smiled at her and for the first time she was able to see the love sparkle in sapphire eyes. She could actually see that Mallory thought she was adorable. She smiled back, hoping that her eyes showed the same. She could feel the emotions swelling her heart and calming her soul. Unable to help herself, Poe reached across the table and put her hand on Mallory’s. Mallory clutched her hand tightly and smiled again.

“We should go on more dates,” Poe realized.

“I’d like that,” Mallory replied.

Poe beamed. “I’ll take you to the movies tonight!” It seemed like the right thing to do. They watched movies all of the time now and enjoyed them on the couch. _Watching a new movie in a theater should be just as good_.

“I’d definitely like that.”

The artist beamed even more. She made a mental note to do more date things with Mallory. _I need to do more things for Mallory, just like she does things for me_.

“Bear with me while I learn how to be in a real relationship,” Poe requested.

Mallory laughed. “Of course. I know this is hard for you. Poe, you’re not the only one that has to learn. After all, my last real relationship was when I was a teenager. Don’t stress yourself. I think we’re doing fine so far and we’ll learn as we go.”

Poe nodded in agreement. Their food arrived and they ate in peaceful silence for a while. The writer glanced up and out of a window in front of their table. It felt like someone was watching her, but she did not see anyone focused on her. But, it happened a few times.

“You okay?” Mallory asked, probably because Poe kept looking out of the window. “Something going on outside?” Blue eyes glanced out the window.

“No, it’s nothing,” Poe replied, going back to her food. 

Poe did her best to focus on eating, if only to avoid freaking Mallory out and to not look like a crazy person. She managed to make it through the meal without peering out of the window again. When the check came, she insisted on paying.

“Why do you get to pay?” Mallory asked with a teasing smile.

“I asked you, so I pay. I believe you taught me that,” the younger woman answered.

The redhead chuckled. “Touché. The teacher has been schooled. Pay on, my dear.”

Poe smiled at the term of endearment, even though she knew that Mallory was just playing around. Poe paid for the meal when they were done and they were off to the next store, which was a few blocks away. Again, it felt like someone was watching her as they walked. She glanced behind them.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Mallory inquired as she slid an arm around Poe’s waist.

“Yeah. I dunno. I must be paranoid or something,” Poe replied, waving the sensation off.

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like I’m being watched, which also makes me feel like we’re being followed. Do you think I’m being silly or that something’s up?” 

Mallory glanced behind them. “Something might be up or we might both be silly. We’ll see.”

Poe shrugged because there was nothing that they could do. They went into the bath and beauty store that Mallory wanted to visit. Poe watched and wondered as Mallory grabbed scented candles, lotion, a jar with what looked pink jelly beans, another jar that looked blue dust, and what she guessed was bubble bath. Poe scratched her head.

“What’s all that stuff for?” the artist asked.

“A bath,” Mallory simply answered.

“So, you’re gonna take a bath later?”

Mallory smirked in a way that made Poe want to melt. “You’ll see. You’ll like it.”

Poe’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what that meant. Nothing came to mind and Mallory went to pay for her items. After that, they marched to the supermarket. There were several more glances behind them, but Poe did her best not to worry about it.

“Grab a cart,” Mallory told the younger woman as they passed the line.

Poe nodded and obediently moved to get the shopping cart. She then followed behind Mallory as the redhead went right to the produce section. She bagged up several pieces of fruit.

“You can have some healthy snacks,” Mallory said with a smile.

“I like pears,” Poe piped in.

“We’ll get some. You need to eat better.” 

“Says you and my mom. I’m fine, though. It’s called being young,” Poe remarked.

“Don’t get sassy. You want to keep looking nice as you get older, so you need to eat right. I want something nice to look at thirty years from now.”

Poe blinked. “Thirty years?”

“Yes, thirty years. I’d say more, but I don’t want to overwhelm you,” Mallory teased, bumping the younger woman with her hip.

Poe laughed and continued to follow Mallory. She studied the redhead as Mallory traveled the aisles with ease, scanning some items, but did not pick them while others were put in the cart with hardly a glance. She clearly had been to the supermarket before, but she did things that Poe did not understand.

“I don’t shop like this,” Poe blurted out.

“No? How do you shop?” Mallory asked, looking down at the shopping list.

“I just grab junk I like that I can carry,” Poe replied with a shrug, even though Mallory could not see.

“Of course, that explains why the kitchen was stocked the way it was before my extended visit. You never went shopping with your mom?”

“No, it didn’t interest me at the time and I didn’t see the point. I should’ve gone, though. Mom would’ve liked it,” Poe realized.

“Don’t sound so guilty about it. Your mom wants you to be happy and comfortable, which she knows you wouldn’t be doing grocery shopping. You bonded with your mom in other ways,” Mallory pointed out.

Poe nodded. “I guess. Did you go shopping with your mom?”

Mallory laughed. “All the damn time and we all hated it, especially my mom. Three little kids bugging her for junk food or shit we couldn’t afford. We always left the store mad with my mom promising beatings all around. On really bad days, she’d threaten to abandon us in the store.”

The artist gasped. “Did she?”

Mallory paused and stared at her girlfriend. “No, it was just a meaningless threat. Did someone do that to you?” She sounded like she would go beat the people up if Poe answered in the affirmative. That thought made Poe feel good about herself.

“No, not exactly. But, I’ve had a family move while I was at school.”

“The bastards!” the redhead snarled, causing Poe to blink a couple of times. “I’m sorry that happened to you, baby.”

Poe shook her head. “Don’t be. They weren’t good people. You’re making me wish I had gone with Mom, though. I’d like funny shopping stories.”

“Well, never too late to start.”

Poe nodded. “You’re right. Maybe I’ll do it the next time I go to see them.”

The redhead smiled and they continued shopping. Mallory called for a cab as they waited in the checkout line, which was a good idea because there was no way that they would have been able carry everything back home. _Home. Is it home now?_ She glanced at Mallory as the line moved. _Maybe it is home_.

-8-8-8-8-

Mallory was not surprised that she and Poe had some difficulty bringing their groceries upstairs. They had a lot of bags, but they managed it in one go with a lot of effort, and also a lot of putting bags into other bags. Thankfully, the plastic handles made it up to the apartment, even though the handles were completely stretched by then. Poe dropped the keys a couple of times before it occurred to her to put her bags down and then opened the doors. 

“We should get you a set of keys,” Poe said and Mallory thought her heart stopped at that statement.

“I’d like that,” the redhead managed to say. She was surprised that her voice did not tremble because her lips and throat were quivering.

Poe smiled and gathered her bags up again to go inside. She stepped in, but suddenly stopped and dropped the bags once more. Mallory ran into the younger woman.

“Poe, what the hell?” Mallory grumbled as she managed to maintain a grip on her bags. 

“What the hell indeed! Who the hell are you?” Poe demanded, facing into the loft. Mallory looked over the short artist and saw what had her attention.

“Baran, what the fuck are you doing here?” Mallory growled, quickly stepping in front of her girlfriend.

The large man stepped away from Poe’s canvass and focused on them. “The boss wasn’t happy with you hanging up on her twice and being MIA for almost a month hasn’t sat well with her either. The fact that you’re probably working for someone else, even though she hasn’t found out who yet isn’t exactly helping to calm her down either.”

Mallory glared at the tall driver. “How the fuck did you even find me?” _How dare this bastard invade our home?_

“You should know better than most that she has eyes all over the city. Now, I don’t want this to be tough, so just come with me.” Baran stepped closer.

“You were the one following us,” Poe accused him.

“Poe, let me handle this,” Mallory implored.

“No, I’m not going let you leave with him and I don’t like how he’s going about things. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I do know that he broke into our home and he’s threatening you,” Poe stated.

“Poe!” Mallory shouted, wanting to warn her girlfriend. Baran was a dangerous man and she was not sure how he would react to the smaller woman challenging him.

Baran stalked over to them. His footfalls were so heavy that they seemed to drum against the floor. “You’re coming with me,” he snarled while reaching for Mallory, but Poe grabbed him.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” the writer said in a hard, cold tone that made Mallory blink. 

“Stupid bitch, sticking up for a whore,” he barked and turned to backhand her. 

Poe ducked the assault and attacked his open mid-section. He fell back, but looked at Poe with hated fire in his eyes. Poe did not look phased, even though Baran was twice her size. He came at her with a speed not expected from someone so enormous, but did not make it as Mallory put her foot in his balls.

“Don’t even think about it!” Mallory screamed.

“Fucking whores!” Baran hollered in a high-pitched voice and leaped at Mallory before she could react. Honestly, she was surprised by his ability to move after her well-placed kick.

He hit her on the chin with a pretty decent left cross and made her teeth rattle. Her back slammed against the wall, but Baran did not touch her again. Poe came at him, taking him out at the waist, tackling him in a way that made it seem like she played in the NFL. He crashed onto the floor and Poe fell on top on him. The artist wasted no time punching him in the side while Mallory climbed to her feet.

The redhead could not reach Poe before Baran retaliated against her. He punched Poe in the stomach, lifting her entire body in the air. The short woman grunted as the blow landed and she stumbled away from him as he stood up.

“Poe!” Mallory rushed to her side.

“I’m fine! Look out!” Poe coughed out the warning. 

Mallory turned too late and Baran grabbed her, palming her face. She felt pressure on her skull and wondered if he could crush her head with one hand. As breathing became difficult for her, he picked her up with frightening ease and then tossed her over the couch and into the television. She had to fight against blacking out when she landed, pain throbbing in her back. Rolling onto her side, she focused on Baran as he went after Poe again.

“Come here, you little fucking gnat,” he growled at the younger woman.

Poe did not back down, dodging all of his slow punches and focused her attack on his knees and groin area. He roared in pain when she tagged him directly in the balls; the section had to still hurt from when Mallory kicked him. Poe was far from finished, kicking his knee in a direction the joint was not meant to bend. He dropped to one knee and Poe let out a mighty war cry as she punched him in the face. The sound of bones crunching echoed through the apartment and blood gushed from his nose.

Poe was breathing hard, but she continued on, putting her all into another punch. Baran grunted as the blow landed, but he did not go down. He reached into his pocket as Mallory climbed to her feet. She was standing just in time to see Baran pull out a stun gun and shove the weapon against Poe’s small body.

Poe let out a short holler before the shock was too much for her. Poe dropped like a sack of rocks while Baran attempted to catch his breath. Mallory saw red and moved so quickly that she doubted Baran knew what hit him. She knocked the weapon from his hand first and foremost before taking hold of the same hand and pummeling his shoulder out of the socket. 

“Fucking bitch!” Baran screamed before she grabbed the nearest object, oddly enough her work phone, and bashed him in the face with it until it shattered in her hand. He was bleeding, dazed, and kneeling.

“You stupid motherfucker!” Mallory hollered as she began kicking him wherever she could reach.

She knew that would not be enough, so while she had the chance she grabbed the stun gun. She jammed the weapon into his neck, not knowing or caring if shocking him that close to his brain could kill him. He fell like a lead balloon and she moved to get something to bind him with. _Good thing we do light bondage_.

Baran was quickly tied down with cuffs and other bonds. Once he was chained to the old radiator, Mallory turned her attention to Poe. The artist was sitting up, holding her head. Mallory kneeled at her side.

“How you feeling, sweetheart?” the redhead inquired, looking into Poe’s unfocused eyes.

“Uh … he down?” Poe slurred.

“Yeah, baby, he’s down. Let me help you up,” Mallory offered, putting her hand on Poe’s arm. All the writer could do was nod.

Mallory worked her way up, taking Poe with her. Poe stumbled once on her feet and fell into Mallory’s body. She walked the younger woman to the sofa and eased her down.

“We’ll get some ice for your face,” Mallory said and she rushed to the kitchen. When she returned, Poe was a little more coherent and her eyes were not glassy.

“Did I get hit by the fucking moon falling from the sky?” Poe wondered as Mallory pressed ice to her face.

Blue eyes glanced at Baran, who was still unconscious. “Close enough. Do you think you need to go to the hospital?”

“Nah, I’m fine. He just rang my bell pretty good with that stun gun. I’ll be fine.”

Mallory decided to take her word on that until she saw signs of the contrary. “That’s good. That’s really good.”

“How’d you down him?” Poe inquired as her eyes strayed to the chained man.

“Same way he downed you. Apparently, that stun gun is a bitch.”

“Hell, yeah,” Poe concurred and she blinked hard a couple of times, needing to focus herself. “So, what do we do with him?”

“I’ll take the gorilla back to his owner once he wakes up. He probably will need a hospital, so he’ll more than likely be happy to leave and get back to her. I have a few choice words for her, anyway.”

Poe took her hand. “ _We’ll_ go.”

“Poe,” Mallory sighed. “I don’t want to put you in any more danger and Tatijana is dangerous, way more dangerous than this moron.” 

“I can wait outside. I’m not going to let you transport a guy that attacked us in our home to God knows where to a woman you’re telling is worse than him and she’s pissed at you!” Poe huffed.

Mallory frowned. “Knowing you as well as I do, I can sense a losing battle involving you following me anyway.”

Poe nodded and smiled. “You know me pretty well.”

“One of the things I love about you is that hint of crazy that likes to pop out every now and then. You can’t go in, though. The crazy Russian lady he works for and I work for, she won’t let you in the office. You don’t want any part of that anyway.”

“I’ll stand outside the door. A good compromise, no?” Poe figured.

“Fine,” Mallory agreed with a sigh.

Poe smiled and they took some time to take care of their injuries. Things proceeded rather smoothly when Baran regained consciousness once Mallory assured him that she would go to see Tatijana. He did look confused over it, but he accepted that quite quickly. She could tell that he just wanted out of the apartment, especially since he was clearly in pain.

“Oh, and Mighty Mouse is going to come with,” Mallory casually remarked, jabbing her thumb in Poe’s direction.

“What the hell?” Baran barked, trying to glare, but he only had one good eye now and that one was swelling up, too.

“She goes or you stay chained until we get sick of you or you starve to death. Whichever.” Mallory shrugged nonchalantly.

“If he starves, we can eat him and then we would absorb his power,” Poe joked. 

“You must be in a writing mood to come up with that,” Mallory commented. Her lover shrugged.

Baran tugged at his bonds, testing them no doubt. He was secure and, from that deep frown on his rough, he was sure of that. Mallory smirked, especially enjoying how much in winced and grimaced when he moved.

“You think I, of all people, don’t know how to strap a man down? Me, the whore?” the redhead mocked him with a chuckle.

Baran roared and went red in the face, but then hissed as agony shot through him from the simple movement. Mallory only laughed more. He went slack and she moved to sit closer to him.

“What’s the big deal? She wants to see me and I’m coming in? It works out, you moron,” she said before plucking him in the forehead.

“Stupid bitch!” he growled before wincing. He put his head down, trying to cover up what they had already seen. He was in sheer agony and could not do anything to them, even if they let him go. He was totally defeated.

Mallory turned to Poe. “What was that about eating him?”

“We start with the heart,” Poe piped in. “He might be a little gamey and tough if the muscles mean anything, but I bet you could make even him taste good.”

“It would be a challenge,” Mallory agreed with a smile and a nod.

Baran only snorted, but he reluctantly agreed to let Poe tag along. He was not in the best shape, so Mallory undid his bonds and he limped to the door. He could barely walk and almost fell over on the elevator ride down. They followed him to the car and he was left to drive. He pulled up to what appeared to be a regular orange brick office with a nice flowery facade. They marched inside and it was like being in any regular office building with a receptionist and everything. The receptionist did not say anything as they went by her without a word, entering a short hallway with a few rows of doors. They went to the end of the hall.

“You stay here,” Mallory told Poe as they came to Tatijana’s door.

“I’m staying,” Poe grumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

Blue eyes cut to Baran. “You, too.”

He snorted, clearly not wanting any part of the shit storm that was about to take place. Mallory half-wished that she could skip the shit storm, too, but it was inevitable. She took a deep breath before venturing into the office.

The average-sized office was decorated in onyx and crimson, dark and bloody almost. There were bookshelves against the walls and a business degree, showcasing that her boss had actually gone to school to manage a company. Of course, no one probably figured that she would be running an escort service. At the head of the office was an ebony desk with some papers on it and a tall, pale Russian woman was sitting at it.

Tatijana looked up, trying to pin Mallory with her glaze. It did not work. While Tatijana was an extremely deadly woman, Mallory had long since lost her fear of the woman. She was not sure if it was a foolish thing or not yet. _This meeting might prove which one it is_.

“Scarlet,” Tatijana said, her accent hanging thick in the air. She was a dark woman in a sense that her hair was jet black and she dressed in the same midnight color all the time. She was wearing a corset, leather pants, and spiked boots, appearing like a dominatrix. 

“Boss,” Mallory replied as she sat down in front of the table. Dark eyes tracked her every move, looking for a weakness. 

Tatijana went into her desk and produced a gun, which she rested on top of her desk, right where Mallory could see it. “Why shouldn’t I just kill right now? You hung up on me twice.”

“Well, aside from the fact that it would mess up the rug,” Mallory remarked as she pulled out a hunting knife from inside her waistband. “I won’t go softly and you were hysterical.” Her heart sped up a bit, even though she liked to think that she could cut Tatijana before the woman could aim her gun, but she probably would not bet money on that. She needed to try to reason her way out of this before anything else.

“You haven’t worked in a month nor have you returned my calls,” the Russian pointed out in a tense hiss.

“I’ve been busy, but I’m ready to come back to work and willing to forgive and forget whenever you are,” she explained in a completely business manner. 

Tatijana scowled. “You think we can move on like this never happened? You think you can speak to me however you want without punishment?”

“Well, it’s either that or we do it the hard way, which could involve making a mess or threats with a lot of unnecessary screaming and all sorts of time consuming nonsense. Do you really want to go through that? I’m back, all is well, and this’ll never happen again.”

“And I’m supposed to just take your word on that?” Tatijana demanded, her eyes glaring at the redhead just a bit harder now.

Mallory shrugged nonchalantly, even though she felt like she might have to spring out of her chair at any moment. “What else can you do? I know you’re calmer now that you’ve had a few days to think about it. You’re not as mad.” While she was certain that was true, she was not sure what degree Tatijana had been mad at before, so she was not sure how far the Russian woman had dropped yet.

“Don’t think you know me so well,” Tatijana snarled.

“I do. Now, let’s be civilized and calm. My life’s changed somewhat in the last month and that’s why you haven’t heard from me, but you probably know that.”

“You’ve allowed yourself to be domesticated.” She looked down her nose with disdain.

“We both know it was bound to happen sooner or later. I’m a girl from the suburbs. I want what I know. You told me that when we met. In fact, you predicted that’s how you’d lose me. So, first to make amends, sorry for disappearing,” Mallory said.

Tatijana’s mouth dropped open. “You apologized?”

Mallory shrugged. “I was wrong in the sense that if this was a regular job I’d have been fired. I just had shit I needed to sort out, which I’ve done and it won’t get to be a mess again anytime soon. Now, can I just get back to work and we both walk away from this without it having to turn into a war?”

Tatijana narrowed her hard, almost black gaze on Mallory. The redhead did not flinch and steely blue eyes stared right back. The room seemed to fill with stiff air and electricity. It popped and whirled, almost threatening to blow the walls out. And, just as suddenly as it appeared, the gun was placed back in the desk. As soon as the draw closed, the tension vanished like thin smoke.

“From now on, we discuss matters like two adults without the avoiding,” Tatijana stated.

“And without the screaming,” Mallory added.

“And we start now because I’m sure your domestication comes with terms.”

Mallory shook her head. “None at all, except you know what’s going to eventually happen.”

Tatijana nodded. “Good. Then get to work.”

The redhead nodded and, when Tatijana’s eyes went back to her work, Mallory knew that she was dismissed. She got out as soon as it was all clear. She breathed a sigh relief. _That wasn’t nearly as bad as I assumed it would be. She’s mellowing as she gets older and I guess the fact that she called this years ago helps_.

“Everything okay?” Poe asked as she fell into step with Mallory.

“Yeah, it’s cool. I get to go back to work without having my fingers broken,” Mallory joked. Poe did not see it as a joke if her wide eyes meant anything. She just wrapped her arms around the younger woman and they started for home.

-8-8-8-8-

Epilogue

Poe closed her laptop and set it aside on the comfortable leather couch. She then turned her attention to her snack of Pop-tarts with peanut butter smeared on the top that was resting on the coffee table. She also grabbed the television remote, turning it on and it automatically came onto the twenty-four hour soccer station. She got lost in the match.

“Poe,” Mallory grumbled, rubbing her eye as she made her way downstairs.

It had been a year since Mallory had moved in with Poe and things had changed somewhat in that time. The year had been good for them. They had arguments every now and then, but they mostly got along well. Their relationship was stronger than ever and they felt like it got stronger everyday, even during those rare occasions that they did not get along. They had gotten a three-bedroom condo together a couple of months ago. One room was a studio for Poe and the other was a walk-in closet for Mallory.

They had decorated the condo together, even though Poe did not think that she was much help in that area. Mallory pushed her, though, wanting her to make the condo home. She did her best in picking things out, but she had mostly just agreed with things that Mallory wanted because those things did not matter much to her. She felt like the condo would be home no matter what was in it. As long as Mallory was there, it was home, and she said as much.

“Why are you watching soccer? You said you were going to write some and then come back to bed,” Mallory reminded her as she curled into Poe’s body. Their arms went around each other and she cuddled into the smaller woman.

“I got a snack and wanted to finish it,” Poe explained, pointing down at her plate. She had actually finished it and had not realized it until now.

Mallory chuckled. “You’ll never change.” She leaned in and placed a kiss on Poe’s mouth. Mallory drew back, licking her lips. “Peanut butter and strawberry, yet I can tell it wasn’t a sandwich. Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not.” Mallory did not like hearing about her improvised meals or snacks. She had learned to stop sharing because every now and then, the reveal cost her kisses until she brushed her teeth.

“Your father is right – you are a garbage disposal.”

Poe only chuckled. Over the past year, her family had begrudgingly accepted that Mallory was in her life and probably the rest of her life. So, little by little, they engaged Mallory and shared stories about Poe with her, much like Mallory’s family did with Poe. They seemed to be slowly growing to like Mallory and Mallory worked to make sure that eventually they would genuinely like her. 

Nadi still had a bit of a problem with Mallory. Poe expected that would last for a while. While she wished her best friend got along with her girlfriend, she was flattered by Nadi’s righteous indignation on her behalf. Mallory did not seem fazed by Nadi’s attitude, just accepting it and working to show that she was going to do right by Poe. Nadi would only accept Mallory when she was certain that Mallory would not break Poe’s heart again.

“You say that now, but you’re always happy I’m there when you order something gross when we go out,” Poe pointed out.

Mallory chuckled. “I do love that you eat anything.” She gave Poe another kiss. “In fact, since I’m off for the next few of days …” A lewd smile settled onto her face.

“Love night,” Poe stated.

It was always “love night” when Mallory did not have work. She was still a call girl, which was why they used the term “love night” instead of “date night.” Mallory did not “date” nearly as often as she did a year ago, but she still had not figured out what she wanted to do with her life. Poe was going to sic Meghan on Mallory soon. Meghan would push Mallory to open a gym more than likely, which Poe was sure Mallory would be very happy with considering how much time Mallory spent at the gym. Poe would be happy with that, too, because she liked working out almost as much as Mallory did. 

“We should just stay home for a couple of days,” Poe said.

Mallory purred. “I like the way you think.” She kissed Poe. “I also love when you call this place home.” She kissed the artist again.

Poe smiled. “Home. This is home, you’re my home.” The statement earned her a full on assault from Mallory’s lips.

Poe pulled away only from Mallory for a moment, reaching for the remote. She turned off the television and turned her complete attention to her lover. They stared into each other’s eyes.

“I love you,” Poe felt the need to say.

“I love you, too,” Mallory replied before they melted into each other.

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wanna see more of my fanfics, they're all at FFN under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fanfiction.net/~starvinglunatic). If you wanna see some original stories, you can look at FP under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fictionpress.com/u/576301/).


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